X 



V 



BEULflH LAND. 




MRS. M. CARTER. 



BEULAH LAND. 



AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 

MRS. m: carter. 



WITH PORTRAIT AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 



" Thy land shall be called Beulah, for the Lord delight- 
eth in thee^ and thy land shall be married*" — Isaiah 
Ixii : 4* 



R\QH 



S9. 



BOSTON : 
JAMES H. EARLE, Publisher, 

178 Washington Street, 
1888, 






Copyright, 1887. 

By James H. Earle. 
All rights reserved. 



PREFACE. 



As the history of my life has been called for 
many times, on both sides of the Atlantic, and 
as I can say, from experience, that the God of 
Joseph is my God, I have written this volume, 
and most prayerfully dedicate it to inquiring and 
trusting souls. 

Mrs. Melissa Booth Carter. 

Newton, Mass. 



CONTENTS. 



Chapter Page 

I. Conversion, n 

II. The Vision, 19 

III. All for Jesus, 25 

IV. Leaving it with the Lord, ... 36 
V. Call to the Ministry, ..... 4$ 

VI. " LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY," * . 57 

VII. Too Late, 70 

VIII. Crossing the Atlantic, 82 

IX. In Europe, . 91 

X. Storm at Sea, 109 

XL He Healeth all our Diseases, . . 119 

XII. Trial and Triumph, 130 

XIII. How Little Ray was Healed, . . 149 

XIV. The Hundred-fold, 166 

XV, Victory, 183 



IO CONTENTS. 

C hapter Page 

XVI. Outposts, , 194 

XVII. The Surprise, 202 

XVIII. " I Delight to do Thy Will, . . . 210 

XIX. Sowing by the Wayside, . . . . 221 

XX. The Homeless Wanderer, .... 231 

XXI. Our Young Ladies' Work, .... 237 

XXII. Douglas, 250 

XXIII. Conclusion, 257 



BEULAH LAND 



-*• 



CHAPTER I. 

CONVERSION. 

I WAS not born in a royal palace, or of parents 
whose fame was universal, but in the quiet 
home of one of New York's industrious farmers, 
near Canandaigua, March 29, 1845. Growing up 
into active childhood I was very venturesome and 
daring, and would often find myself in the most 
perplexing positions. 

One day my youngest sister and myself went 
out to the pasture near by, and I, seeing one of 
the horses near a place on which I could climb, 
availed myself of the opportunity, and was soon 
seated securely on his bare back, with nothing by 
which to guide the horse but his mane. I rode 
around the pasture in highest glee, without even 
a thought of there being any danger in connec- 



12 BEULAH LAND. 



tion with such a venturesome act ; but I was 
thoroughly aroused to the fact only a few days 
later, by finding myself thrown from the horse's 
back, and lying prostrate in the sand, face down- 
ward. Notwithstanding all that, I continued the 
practice until I was mistress of the position, and 
could ride on horseback, or drive anywhere in the 
most fearless manner. 

Not long after this I saw some fruit on a tree 
that I greatly desired, and, there being no way of 
obtaining it, only to climb the tree and secure it 
for myself, I immediately did so, and to my great 
satisfaction secured the fruit and began slowly to 
descend, but just as I had reached the lower Hmb 
of the tree, my foot slipped and I lost my bal- 
ance. As I fell, my skirt caught upon a limb, 
and there I hung suspended in the air, to the 
loss of many stitches, until my sister could ren- 
der her timely assistance. The one gratifying 
thought to me was, that I had the fruit if I did 
tear my dress. 

I was not satisfied with these many experiences 
I had had, so one morning I rushed headlong 
into another. I was taking a walk in my own lit- 



CONVERSION. 13 



tie garden, as I usually did before school, when I 
saw a handsome cat in the meadow. Of course 
I wanted it, and was bound to have it, if it were 
possible, so I chased it across a ten-acre field, and 
over fences/and finally caught it. My hands had 
no sooner touched it than it turned and bit me 
terribly. I was indignant to think it should bite 
me when I had only tried to catch it. 

Thus carelessly I passed eleven years, until 
1856, when my father began to fail very rapidly, 
and on the twenty-third of December we were 
called to his bedside, there to feel the last touch 
of his dear hand, and look into his mild blue eyes 
for the last time this side of the great eternity. 

I began to realize that there was something 
more in life than frivolity, and more in death 
than the grave, and, heart-sick, I left the room. 

On Christmas day our ride was to the ceme- 
tery instead of one for pleasure, and our hearts 
throbbed with pain instead of delight. 

As I watched his remains being lowered into 
the cold, deep grave, I had a faint understanding 
of the significance of death that my mother had 
taught me. When we returned home, and I 



14 BEULAH LAND. 



remembered that the arm-chair in the corner was 
forever vacated by my dear father, it seemed 
more than my poor little heart could endure. 

A few evenings later my two sisters and my- 
self accompanied mother to a prayer-meeting that 
she started before father's death. When I had 
previously attended them, I was always very 
mirthful and ready to scoff at the unplastered 
walls and carpetless floors ; but I was more 
serious now. I could not even smile, but lis- 
tened attentively to all that was said. 

I did not respond to the invitation for sinners 
to find the Saviour, but put it off until one after- 
noon, a few days later, when it seemed as though 
I could endure it no longer. 

My sister and I called on a devoted Christian 
lady in the neighborhood, and I told her how I 
felt. She gave me a very significant look, and 
said, " Sinsickness is the very worst sickness in 
the world," and then paid no more attention to 
what I had said. We walked slowly on to meet- 
ing, feeling disappointed at not finding the relief 
we had expected. 

I was glad to be there, but the sadness of 



CONVERSION. 1 5 



my poor heart only increased as the moments 
passed. 

When the service was about half through, my 
elder sister arose, and said that she must and 
would be a Christian. She was scarcely seated 
when I found myself standing, and saying that I 
too wanted to be a Christian. 

I could never tell just how I stood up, but one 
thing I did know, that all my burden was gone 
before I sat down. 

It was a happy time for me, for I was a new 
child indeed. How well I could understand the 
poet in these words : 

" How lost was my condition 
'Till Jesus made me whole; 
There is but one physician 
Can cure a sin-sick soul. 

"The worst of all diseases 
Is light compared with sin; 
On every part it seizes, 
But rages worst within." 

I had such peace and rest that I thought I could 
never be moved ; but there was a test even then 
in store, for the very next morning one of my 



1 6 BEULAH LAND. 



unconverted school-mates called, and, during her 
conversation, said : 

"We all thought that Elizabeth " (my sister) 
" was in earnest, but we rather doubted Melissa's 
sincerity." 

For a few moments I seemed almost stunned, 
and did not know what to say ; but before I had 
recovered sufficiently to speak, mother broke the 
silence by saying : 

"Never mind, dear, what any one says. You 
ask the Lord to let you know whether or not you 
are a Christian/' 

I did so, and the question was forever settled, 
so that no one has had power to move me on that 

■ 

point since. 

Previous to my conversion I had received 
an invitation to attend a private dance, which 
was to take place in the parlors of one of 
my school-mates, a few evenings after my con- 
version. 

I had entirely forgotten it until my brother 
came to me and said, "Isn't it time for you to 
get ready?" 

" Get ready tor what ? " I inquired. 



CONVERSION. I J 



"Why! to go to the party, of course/' he 
answered. 

I thought for a moment, and then replied : 
" I am not going to any more parties, George, for 
I have no desire to." 

He left the room, and in a few moments came 
in again, and said, with some sternness : 

" Arn't you going with me ? " 

"No, sir, I am not," I replied. 

"Then," said he, "you ought to be punished 
for not keeping your word." 

"George," said I, "please don't say any more 
to me about it, for I'm not going." 

Thus the test came to an end. All that he 
had said had not moved me from my stead- 
fastness. 

A few days later one of our neighbors told 
me that my brother said that he believed Millie 
was a Christian ; at the same time relating how 
he tested me, and adding that he only did it to 
see if I had really met with the change that I 
professed. 

May God always help me to be as "wise as a 
serpent, and harmless as a dove," 



1 8 BEULAH LAND. 



In the fall my sister Elizabeth and I united 
with the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

One Sunday they took up a missionary collec- 
tion, and we signed fifty cents each. On our 
way home we were wondering how we could get 
it, when a happy thought entered our minds. 
We remembered that there were still a few scat- 
tered chestnuts in the grove ; so the next morn- 
ing we started, with baskets on our arm, and 
gathered all we could find, and carried them to 
Waterloo, two miles and a half distant, and sold 
them. Elizabeth received for hers just the 
amount that she had subscribed, and I, two cents 
less. It was a great cross for me to give less, 
but I did, and received a great blessing. My 
highest ambition now was to be helping some 
one, and I found plenty to do in the sphere in 
which I was placed. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE VISION, 

WHEN I was first converted, all love for 
worldly adornings was taken from my 
heart; but when I grew to young womanhood 
my milliner told me that I ought to wear just a 
few flowers on my bonnet. 

She plead so faithfully, that finally I yielded, I 
did not discover the cloven foot, for, if I had, I 
would not have allowed her to put the one thing 
on my apparel that afterwards cost me so much. 
My peace was more easily disturbed, and I was 
often led to wonder at it. The next thing that 
the enemy suggested was, "that there was no 
need of my being so plain ; that I might put a 
little trimming on my dress, and not be so odd ! " 

I did so, and soon had no conscience in the 
matter at all. My temptations became more 
severe, and I was very easily overcome. When 1 



20 BEULAH LAND. 



would tell in class-meeting what a hard time I 
was having, the leader would say : 

"Go on, sister, go on ; the Lord bless you." 

He never told me what to go on to, or what 
to forsake. Therefore, I was left as much in 
doubt as before. 

If class-leaders only realized what a grand 
privilege they have for training souls, it does 
seem to me they would be more spiritual them- 
selves. " For the husbandmen must first be 
partakers of the fruit/ ■ 

On the twenty-fifth of December, 1862, I was 
united in marriage to William Wilby Carter, of 
Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England. My hus- 
band's temporary business was in Waterloo, so it 
was there we resided. Shortly after our mar- 
riage I became very much concerned about my 
husband's conversion, and wrestled and prayed 
for him until tears seemed to be my portion. It 
was not because he did not love me, for I seemed 
to be his idol ; but that did not satisfy the long- 
ings of my soul : it was to have him love the One 
whom I worshipped. I received no encourage- 
ment whatever, in regard to his being saved, and 



THE VISION. 21 



the enemy would assail me with the thought that 
it was perfectly useless for me to pray for him ; 
but I kept a volley of prayer going up before the 
throne almost day and night in his behalf. 

One Sunday morning I asked him if he would 
go with me to church. He replied : 

" O, no ! I cannot go, for I have to attend to 
business all the week, and must, necessarily, take 
Sunday to do my own work." 

" Why, Wilby ! ' I exclaimed, " will you work 
in your garden on Sunday ? I should think you 
would be afraid to do so." 

"Well," said he, "HI risk it." 

I looked out and saw that he had prepared a 
place for planting. 

When I was ready for church, I bade him 
good-by, and started off alone. I had gone only 
a few steps when I felt impressed to turn and go 
back to the house. I did so, and when I reached 
the garden, I said : 

" My dear, God will curse every seed you put 
in the ground to-day." 

"Well," said he, with a sneer, "if the seeds are 
cursed, then I will believe that there is a God." 



22 BEULAH LAND. 



When I came home from church I looked to 
see just how much he had planted, and discovered 
that he had not only planted cucumber seeds, but 
water-melon seeds also, and had transplanted a 
raspberry bush. 

I examined the leaves of the bush, so as to 
be sure how far advanced they were. After a 
proper length of time, I looked again, and the 
cucumber seeds had not come up. Then I 
looked at the hills where the water-melon seeds 
had been planted, and, behold ! they were coming 
up. I stood for a moment and then said to my- 
self : 

" I know God curses these seeds." 

I afterwards observed that the leaves on the 
bush never grew any more, and that the water- 
melon vines only grew to be about three inches 
high, with just the two first leaves on them, also 
that the cucumber seeds never came up ; and in 
that condition they stood until the snow covered 
them. 

When I called his attention to the fact, he said 
that it must be I had poured boiling water on 
them. Then how plainly I could see why the 



THE VISION. 23 



Lord let some of the plants come up, just to 
protect me, and yet show his power. It seemed 
hard to see one I loved so dearly drifting so far 
from God, but, bitter as was the cup, I must 
drink it. 

One Saturday evening I took my Bible and 
read one chapter, then knelt and prayed. I arose 
feeling very much dissatisfied. Then I read 
another chapter and prayed the second time, but 
felt no better. I then read the third chapter, 
and I don't think I had been on my knees a 
moment, when my soul was filled to overflowing 
with the presence of God. My face was up- 
turned, and I shall never be able to frame into 
words the wonderful vision I saw. A shaft of 
light about one yard wide, came down through 
the ceiling to the place where I was kneeling, 
and, off some distance from me, I saw the most 
beautiful form, and I have always thought of it 
as that of my dear Saviour. 

The calm, composed, and loving expression of 
his face, the long plain robes of pure white, and 
the gently-folded arms, made me feel as though 
I must go to him and be folded in his loving 



24 BEULAH LAND. 



embrace. This vision lasted for some moments, 
when it occurred to me that it was getting late, 
and I ought to retire. As soon as I listened to 
the whispers of self the vision vanished. I 
retired, but found it quite difficult to go to sleep. 
When I awoke in the morning my soul was filled 
with indiscribable peace. I read Ezekiel, thirty- 
seven, and again my soul was flooded with un- 
earthly light. Then I felt perfectly confident 
that the Lord had heard my prayers for my 
husband, and that every obstacle was being 
removed that hindered his conversion. 



CHAPTER III. 

ALL FOR JESUS. 

X JL Y husband purchased a beautiful home 
/ Y V. i n Syracuse, N. Y., where we moved in 
the summer of 1864, shortly after which I heard 
of a prayer-meeting that was to be held at one 
of my neighbors. I attended it, and when the 
question was asked where the next one would be 
held, I timidly said : 

" You may have it at our house." 

When I told my husband what I had done, he 
said : 

"Well, they will just spoil the carpets, and 
your piano will be marred, and, in fact, every- 
thing will be ruined." 

I said nothing more to him on the subject, but 
kept talking with the Lord about it. When the 
evening for the meeting came, my husband was 
home an hour earlier than usual, much to my 



26 BEULAH LAND. 



surprise. After tea, he asked me how I would 
have the seats arranged. I told him, and after 
that was done, he took a seat by the window and 
said : 

" I should think it was time for them to 
come." 

The people gathered, and we had an excellent 
meeting ; and as our carpets were not ruined, nor 
our piano marred— -when my husband saw that his 
fears were groundless, we appointed another one 
for the following week. At the third meeting, 
when the leader invited the sinners to find 
Christ, my husband arose and said, "I cannot 
endure the pressure of Satan any longer. I must 
either be a Christian, or die." 

The leader asked me to pray for him ; but I 
could do nothing but praise the Lord. When I 
heard him praying to my God, entreating him to 
accept him, for his Son's sake, I felt that my cup 
was running over. 

What a contrast there was between his former 
life and his present one ! He now reverenced 
the Sabbath day, instead of desecrating it, and 
loved to do God's will rather than to oppose it. 



ALL FOR JESUS. 2J 

During the fall we listened to a sermon by the 
Rev. Wm. J. Selby. He preached very strongly 
in favor of freedom from all sin. 

This was a feature in Christianity that had 
never been explained to me. At the close of the 
service he asked me if I enjoyed the blessing of 
holiness. 

I replied, "Not that I know of." 

"Well," said he, "you would know it, if you 
had it." 

I invited him to call at our home, for I was 
curious to know what he meant by " blessing of 
holiness" 

I was very busy during the week, but took 
time to consider the sermon I had heard. I was 
confident that he possessed a degree of power 
with God that I did not. 

On the following Friday he called, and I asked 
him what he meant by "holiness." He explained 
it, but I did not seem to understand him. In his 
prayer he said : 

" O Lord, sanctify Sister Carter, soul, body, 
and spirit, so that she will be a wonder to her- 
self, and an astonishment to her neighbors." 



28 BEULAH LAND. 



I had never heard anything like this before, 
and of course did not know what to make of it. 

After he left, I began to meditate on his 
prayer. 

I had a great yearning in my soul to have all 
that the Lord had for me, and prayed earnestly 
that if there was such a thing as sanctification 
he would let me have it. 

I prayed in this way for two days, when I left 
the "if out, and said, "O Lord, I do believe 
there is such a blessing, or state, as sancti- 
fication/ ' 

Then the enemy whispered, " Sanctification is 
only for the denomination to which that minister 
belongs and not for you." 

This did not trouble me long, for almost imme- 
diately these words came with great emphasis : 

"With God, there is no respect of persons." 

Very soon the Holy Spirit began to show me 
what there was in my heart that was unlike 
Christ. 

The first thing was my temper, which caused 
me great sorrow, and I shrank from it as I would 
from a deadly serpent. 



ALL FOR JESUS. 2g 



Next, were my husband and little daughter, 
whom I unconsciously idolized. I thought I did 
not love my family more than I ought, and could 
not understand why I must give them up. I 
thought they would die, and I didn't see how 
I could let them ; but no matter how I felt, every 
time that I prayed all I could hear was : 

" Will you give your husband and child to 
me ? " 

"Thou shalt have no other God before me." 

I tried to pray, and at the same time cling 
to my family, when at last these words came to 
me : 

"He that loveth father or mother more than 
me, is not worthy of me ; and he that loveth son 
or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. ,: 
I saw very clearly that I had reached the place 
where I must decide, and that forever, which way 
I would go ; and I said : " Dear Lord, I yield 
them both to thee, to do as seemeth thee good. 
I give thee all that I am, or ever expect to be." 

Who can describe the peace that instantly fills 
the consecrated heart ? 

The next time I attended our neighborhood 



30 BEULAH LAND. 



prayer-meeting, God gave me great liberty in 
relating my experience, and the very next day 
one of my neighbors called and said she thought, 
perhaps, I had never been converted, and that 
that was simply the witness of the Spirit in justi- 
fication. 

I told her that I knew I was converted when I 
was a child, and that no one could make me 
doubt it, and that I knew I was wholly sanctified 
to God, and no one could make me doubt that, 
either, for my feelings have since been expressed 
in these words : 

All for Jesus I All for Jesus ! 

All my being's ransom'd pow'rs ; 
All my thoughts and words and doings, 

All my days and all my hours. 
All for Jesus ! All for Jesus ! 

All my days and all my hours. 

Let my hands perform his bidding; 

Let my feet run in his ways : 
Let my eyes -see Jesus only ; 

Let my lips speak forth his praise. 
All for Jesus ! All for Jesus ! 

Let my lips speak forth his praise. 



ALL FOR JESUS. 31 



Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus, 

I've lost sight of all beside, — 
So enchained my spirit's vision, 

Looking at the Crucified. 
All for Jesus ! All for Jesus I 

All for Jesus crucified ! 

Oh, what wonder I how amazing I 

Jesus, glorious King of kings, 
Deigns to call me his beloved, 

Let me rest beneath his wings. 
All for Jesus ! All for Jesus ! 

Resting now beneath his wings. 

In a few days the lady called again and said : 

" Sister Carter, we must put a stop to your 
being so noisy in our meetings, for the people 
will not suffer it any longer.'' 

Now I had an opportunity to see whether or 
not there was any anger left in my heart ; and, 
praise God, I was as tranquil as though nothing- 
had happened. Before she left, we knelt, and I 
asked God to bless her and lead her into the 
light. 

We attended the meetings as usual, and I testi- 
fied to the complete saving power of God. The 



32 BEULAH LAND. 



people seemed to consider me unsafe, and the 
minister appeared to, also. One evening we 
were a little late, and my sister and I were 
obliged to take seats next to the minister. I 
waited until nearly all had testified in their icy 
way, and then arose, and if the Lord ever helped 
a mortal to pour the boiling hot truth on a 
people, he did me; and the hallelujahs burst 
forth regardless of any one's opinion. After I 
was seated, my sister arose and said that the 
Lord had saved her completely. 

The next to speak was the minister, and you 
can imagine the people's surprise when he said, 
" Brethren and sisters, I wish you all had the 
same kind of salvation that these two sisters 
have ; — I like their spirit." 

Thus the Lord vindicates those who honor 
him. 

I have many times thanked God that he gave 
me an obedient heart when he laid his disapprov- 
ing hand on the fashion of the world that I was 
following. It may be of interest to some to 
have me relate my experience when I laid off the 
fashions, for Jesus' sake. 



ALL FOR JESUS. 33 



When I was induced by the milliner to wear 
the cluster of flowers on my bonnet, I was not 
aware that I was violating God's command, when 
he said : 

" Whose adorning, let it not be that outward 
adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of 
gold, or of putting on of apparel. But let it be 
the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not 
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and 
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great 
price. ,, 

"For after this manner in the old time the 
holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned 
themselves." 

When I began to realize what a hard time I 
was having to serve God, I commenced searching 
for the cause, and the Holy Spirit showed me, by 
the Word, that it was the Lord's will for me to 
dress plain, and not conform to the world. 

I was led, step by step, first to lay aside the 
flowers and feathers that were on my hat and 
bonnet, then to take the trimmings off my 
dresses, until I was as plainly dressed as I was at 
the first of my conversion. 



34 BEULAH LAND. 



I had remodeled all of my dresses but one ; that 
I had overlooked. When I took it from the 
wardrobe in the fall, the enemy whispered, " You 
know that is perfectly plain, all but the strip of 
velvet around the skirt, and. certainly that will do 
no harm." 

When I tried to pray, I could not, but felt as 
though I must. I tried the second time, but 
with no better success. I was thoroughly 
alarmed, and knelt and said : 

"O Lord, if the velvet on my dress is the 
cause of this, bless me and I will take it off." I 
did not receive the blessing, however, until I had 
taken the velvet off, and then when I knelt, 
prayer and praise burst involuntarily forth from 
my lips, and from that day to this, I have not had 
the slightest desire to conform to the world in 
any sense of the word. 

The matter of dress did not apply to me alone, 
but also to my daughters, so long as they were 
under my control. They are now matured young 
ladies, and my youngest daughter said to a friend 
a few days ago, " Miss Belle and I have never 
dressed otherwise than plain in our lives. We 



ALL FOR JESUS. 35 



have never desired to, because we know that 
mother knew better than we, and then, when we 
were converted, we had no fashions to lay 
aside." 



CHAPTER IV. 

LEAVING IT WITH THE LORD. 

THE following summer I attended my first 
camp-meeting, which was held at Chitten- 
ango, N. Y. At the close of one of the services, 
I was telling an unconverted lady some of my 
experience, when others came and asked if 
they might listen also. They crowded around 
me, until, to my surprise, I had quite a fair- 
sized audience. The next morning, as I was 
crossing the camp-ground, a brother met me 
and said : 

"Sister Carter, some of our ministers thought 
that you were spiritually proud yesterday, and 
thought you ought to be told of it. Why ! your 
very looks showed it." 

"Well," said I, "that is the first time that I 
ever thought of such a thing ; for my only object 
was to honor the Lord ; and again, I did not seek 



LEAVING IT WITH THE LORD, 37 



the people, they sought me, and followed me like 
hungry sheep. What less could I do than to 
break the bread of life to them ? " 

" Well," said he, " I do this all in love and care 
for your soul." 

I thanked him and turned away and lifted my 
heart to God in silent prayer, to have him show 
me if I was spiritually proud. I could discover 
nothing but love toward both God and man, and 
as I went out to meeting in the evening I became 
perfectly willing to have every minister on the 
ground think I was proud, rather than to dis- 
please God by failing to improve every oppor- 
tunity I had of speaking for him. 

The last evening I was on the ground, an old 
gentleman came to me and said : 

"Mrs. Carter, God has called you to do special 
work in his vineyard. You may yet be called 
before the crowned heads of the world to do 
service for him." 

I thought he was very much mistaken, for 
what could the Lord do with me, a woman. 

After we returned home, my little Belle began 
to fail very rapidly, and the physician said that 



38 BEULAH LAND. 



the only way we would be able to raise her, 
would be in the country air. 

A few weeks later we moved on to the " Dr. 
Totman estate," a few miles from Syracuse. We 
had been in the place only a short time when I 
felt so much concerned for the ungodly souls 
around me, that I could not rest until I had 
appointed a prayer-meeting to be held at my 
house. A neighbor called and said that I need 
not prepare for many, for that place was called 
"The city of no God.' 1 Much to her surprise, 
there were eighteen present ; and at the second, 
there were twenty-three, and at the third, the 
house was filled. 

During the third service, a man that worked 
with my husband went out to our barn and kept 
the hens squalling most unmercifully, all through 
the service. He tried hard to break up the 
service, but did not succeed, and the Lord showed 
his divine approval of the meeting by saving 
three souls. 

At our next meeting this very man and his 
wife were present. I was afraid they had come 
to make a disturbance, and in my prayer, said, 



LEAVING IT WITH THE LORD. 39 

" O Lord, so convict Mr. B for sin, that he 

cannot rest until he finds rest in thee." 

The words that I had uttered fairly frightened 
me, and I was tempted to think he would never 
come again. 

When the invitation for sinners to find the 
Saviour was given, he instantly arose and said : 

"When Mrs. Carter mentioned my name in 
her prayer, it sent an arrow of conviction 
straight to my heart. ,, 

We prayed with him, but he did not get relief. 
At our next meeting he said, " I am not saved 
yet ; do pray for me ! ' We prayed for him, but 
he seemed as dissatisfied as before, and again 
cried out : 

" Oh, do pray for me ! " 

Again we prayed for him, and he prayed for 
himself, and in a few moments he shouted : 

" Glory to God ! Glory to God ! I am saved, 
and I know it/ 5 His life showed the change, 
and he afterwards became a minister of the 
Gospel. 

Thus the meetings continued until the place 
was shaken from centre to circumference. 



40 BEULAH LAND. 



Some said that I ought to preach, and I was 
offered the church to speak in ; also the school- 
house near by ; but the very thought startled 
me. 

What ! I preach ? 

No ; that could not be. 

I told them that I was not strong enough, and 
would not attempt such a thing without a " Thus 
saith the Lord." 

During the following year I led prayer and 
class-meetings, and called on the unconverted, 
and tried in that way to remove the burden that 
I had for those who were still unsaved ; but in 
the^ face of it all, these words were almost con- 
stantly in my mind, " Go preach my Gospel." 

How the very thought frightened me ! I 
would say to myself, " I am a woman ; how 
can I ? " 

I ventured to tell my husband how I felt, and 
he did not encourage me, but said : 

" You preach ? I think you had better wait 
until you can walk a quarter of a mile." 

Evidently he would not uphold me in doing 
so, and I, like Gideon, asked for signs. 



LEAVING IT WITH THE LORD. 4I 

The first thing that I asked was, for the Lord 
to make him willing, if it was his will for me to 
preach. Sweet rest filled my soul concerning it, 
and I felt confident that the Lord would bring 
it about all right. In a few days an old lady 
walked two miles to tell me that she was sure I 
ought to preach. "And/ 5 said she, "I have been 
talking with your husband about it, and urged 
him to have you commence at once." 

" What did he say ? " I asked. 

"He said that he had opposed you as long 
as he could, and would not hinder you any 
longer." 

How this God-sent intelligence encouraged me. 
I noticed that he did not oppose me when I 
referred to it, as he had formerly done. The next 
thing that I asked was, for the Lord to help us get 
out of debt, as another proof of his approval. 

In a short time we sold our farm, and pur- 
chased a smaller one about a mile distant. I was 
soon informed that it was a very peculiar neigh- 
borhood, for it was chiefly populated by the 

« 

Millerites ; also that Sunday was a day devoted 
to receiving and returning calls, 



42 BKULAH LAND. 



"Well/ 1 said I to my informant, "when it 
comes to pass that any neighborhood is too hard 
for God to manage, then I'll give up." 

I could not attend church on the first Sabbath, 
but made ready to receive calls. 

The first that came was my nearest neighbor, 
accompanied by his little daughter. I began 
talking with him about his soul, and he acted 
very uneasy, and finally said that he must 
go. 

"Don't be in a hurry," said I (at the same 
time getting my Bible ) ; " I always read and pray 
with my company." 

By this time the poor man looked thoroughly 
frightened ; but I did not appear to notice his 
confusion, and opened my Bible, and read a 
whole chapter. Then I asked him to kneel while 
my husband and I prayed. He did so rather re- 
luctantly, but that made no difference to me, for 
I was determined to teach him a lesson that he 
would not soon forget. 

In my prayer I was led to ask the Lord to so 
convict him for sin, that he would not be able to 
eat or sleep in comfort, until he was conscious 



LEAVING IT WITH THE LORD. 43 

that his sins were forgiven. When we arose 
from our knees, he seemed glad enough to 
°*o 

During the evening, several young ladies 
called. I asked the Lord to help me to do my 
duty by them ; so I began by telling them how 
I found Jesus, and then conversed with each of 
them separately, and when I had finished praying, 
they were ready to go. 

A few evenings after, I had a call from one of 
my Millerite acquaintances, with her two daugh- 
ters and their husbands, one of them being the 
man already referred to as calling on the previous 
Sabbath. Her object seemed to be to try and 
convert my husband and myself to Millerism. 
When she saw that her efforts were not suc- 
cessful she charged me with not reading my 
Bible. 

"For/ 3 said she, "if you did, you would see as 
I do ; or substantially the same." 

She repeated the Lord's prayer to prove her 
views ; more especially this part : "Thy will be 
done in earth, as it is done in Heaven ; ' but she 
quoted it in this way : " Thy will be on earth as it 



44 BEULAH LAND. 



is done in Heaven. " After I corrected her, 
I said : 

"That means that the will of God is to be 
done in us, his saints, as it is done by the angels 
in Heaven. " She turned to me and with a horri- 
fying look said, " Read your Bible ! Read your 
Bible ! " and would not give me time to say any- 
thing more about it. 

I let her proceed with her style of explaining 
the Scriptures, and lifted my heart to God in 
silent prayer, asking him to be my mouth-piece 
and wisdom, in that hour of need. Just then my 
husband said softly : 

"Ask her to tell her experience/' 

I did so ; but she hesitated. Then I appealed 
to the company to know if it would not be fair 
for her to tell her experience, and I would tell 
mine. They decided that she ought to do so. 
When she saw that there was no alternative for 
her, she began by saying that "she was washing 
dishes one day, when, all at once, the meaning of 
the whole Bible was revealed to her ; so that 
she could never misunderstand, or be taught any- 
thing more about it," 



LEAVING IT WITH THE LORD. 45 

Said I : 

" You must be very highly favored, for I never 
saw, or heard of any one that pretended to know 
the whole meaning of the Bible." 

Then I told her how I was convicted for sin, 
repented, and was pardoned, and afterwards 
sought and obtained holiness ; and how wonder- 
fully the Lord kept me from day to day. 

When I asked her to pray, she refused. I told 
her that she must not come and try to teach me 
the way to serve God, and not pray. She then 
kneeled and offered the strangest prayer that I 
ever heard. After they were gone, the enemy 
told me that she had carried the day, and that 
my unconverted neighbors would never be 
converted, and that it would have been much 
better for me to have kept my experience to 
myself. 

" Well," said I, " Mr. Satan, I have done the 
very best that I knew how, and I am going to 
leave it with the Lord." 

The next morning I felt impressed to take my 
Bible and go over to my neighbor's who had 
called on the evening previous, and read the 



46 BEULAH LAND. 



Lord's prayer, and another chapter. I told my 
husband how I felt, and he told me to go, and he 
would pray for me, 

As I entered their sitting-room, I told them 
my errand. After I had read and explained the 
Lord's prayer and the chapter, the best I could, 
the son said : 

" Mrs. Carter, that is the very chapter I had 
selected to confound you ; but you have con- 
founded me with your explanation." 

I said : 

" Praise the Lord." 

In a few moments, he said : 

" I'm afraid I'm going to have a fever. 15 

I told him he had a fever now that I hoped 
would not get better until he had made his peace 
with God. 

He looked at me in surprise. I then plainly 
told him that he was under conviction for sin. 
After I had sung and prayed with him, and 
urged him twice to yield to God, he refused ; but 
when I shook hands with him and was about 
to turn away, he began to sob convulsively. 
Said I : 



LEAVING IT WITH THE LORD. 47 

" Are you willing to surrender now ? If so, 

kneel." 

He fell upon his knees, and after I had prayed, 
he began to confess his sins to God, but all at 
once he stopped and said to me : 

" Mrs. Carter, will you forgive me for what I 
have said against you ? " 

Said I : 

" Certainly/ ' 

He then finished his prayer, and in less than 
five minutes was praising God. I turned to his 
, wife and asked her to pray, and she, too, was con- 
verted. 

He afterwards told me that he had decided to 
move out of the neighborhood, for I was alto- 
gether too religious. 



CHAPTER V. 

CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 

DURING the winter vacation, several of the 
Syracuse University students held a series 
of meetings in the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
at Collamer, and at one o'clock p. m., daily, they 
met at our house for the purpose of talking on 
the deeper things of God. 

One morning, before daylight, this passage of 
Scripture came very forcibly to my mind : " If the 
righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the 
sinner and ungodly appear ? ' and with it the 
thought that I must speak on it that evening, at 
Collamer. 

I said : 

" Father, I will obey thee, if I know thy 
will." 

The evening meeting seemed to be very powers 
less, and when the leader gave the invitation for 



CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 49 

sinners to go forward, no one moved. I dared 
not wait any longer, and, gathering all of the 
courage I had, I arose, and talked as the Spirit 
gave me utterance. Such power came upon me 
that I felt as though I could "run through a 
troop, and leap over a wall.' 3 When I sat down, 
the invitation was repeated, and the altar was 
filled with seeking ones. 

A few evenings after this, the pastor asked me 
to follow the student that was then talking, with 
an exhortation. I told him that I did not see 
how I could ; but after he had persisted for some 
time, I said, " I will." 

When I sat down and the invitation was given, 
the altar was again filled. 

Praise God ! 

The following fall I seemed forced to make an 
appointment to preach in our district school- 
house. I tried to get rid of the thought, but it 
was impossible ; for, " Go ye into all the world 
and preach my Gospel/ 5 was before me day and 
night. 

I thought there would be only a few present, 
and it would be less embarrassing ; but to my 



5<3 BEULAH LAND. 



surprise, the house was filled to its utmost 
capacity. 

As I looked over the audience, I lifted my 
heart to God in silent prayer, for strength to 
enable me to do my duty. 

I opened the service by singing, and then I 
knelt and prayed that God would take the entire 
charge of the service. In an instant, every par- 
ticle of fear and trembling ceased, and I felt as 
though I was lifted a thousand miles above every- 
thing in this world. 

My text was in Hebrews ii : 3. " How shall we 
escape, if we neglect so great sal vat ion.' ' 

The Lord helped me wonderfully, and every 
one present seemed to listen breathlessly to 
every word that I said. 

Before I closed I was impressed to appoint 
another service for the following week, but did 
not do it. 

In a few days one of the stewards of our 
church said that he thought I was a good woman, 
and no one could dispute it ; but that I was led 
by Satan when I thought of preaching. My 
pastor also said that it was a scheme concocted 



CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 5 1 

by the Devil, and that he thought I would be the 
means of ruining more souls than I would help. 
He and another gentleman said they tried to pre- 
vent anyone finding out that I was going to 
speak, for fear the roughs would come and pub- 
licly abuse me. 

My pastor preached in the same schoolhouse 
that I did, once a fortnight, and he said that if I 
continued preaching there, he would not. 

What a dilemma I was in ! 

Had I been led by Satan ? If so, how was I 
to know when I was led by the Holy Spirit ? 
Sometimes I would think that perhaps I had 
made a mistake, but if the Lord would reveal to 
me that it was his will, I would call another 
meeting and acknowledge it. 

I did not get any help, but rather grew worse. 
After I had suffered in this way for a few days, 
my husband was obliged to leave home on busi- 
ness, and there was no one at home but myself. 
About noon the pigs began to squeal most un- 
mercifully. The first thought that came to me 
was : 

" Your neighbors will not think very much of 



52 BEULAH LAND. 



your religion, if you let those pigs squeal in 
that way/' so I took a pail of food and started to- 
ward the barn. After I had stepped outside the 
door, the enemy said : 

"You said that you were willing to publicly 
confess that you had made a mistake, if the Lord 
showed it to you." 

"Yes," I said to myself, "I will do it most 
gladly." 

Then he continued : 

"Are you willing to confess that you have 
made a mistake in saying that you enjoyed holi- 
ness, also ?" 

"Yes," I responded, "if the Lord shows me." 

I stood still while these thoughts were passing 
through my mind, and then started on. The 
pigs were as noisy as ever, but before I had gone 
half-way, I was stopped by these words : 

"Put that pail down and return to the house, 
and take your Bible, and all that you desire to 
know shall be revealed to you.' ! Immediately I 
heard another voice say : 

" If you don't go and feed those pigs, you will 
be forever disgraced by your neighbors. 1 



»» 



CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 53 

I cried mightily to God to not let me be de 
ceived. 

Then said I to myself, " Those pigs won't die 
if they don't have their dinner immediately ; and 
the welfare of souls depends upon my knowing 
the truth in my case." 

I turned towards the house, and as I was en- 
tering the door, I said, " I'm going to know ! I'm 
going to know ! " 

I took up my Bible and opened to the 
eighteenth chapter of Acts ; and as I was read- 
ing it seemed as though a legion of evil spirits 
were after me ; for from the first of my reading 
the enemy kept whispering : 

" You ought to open somewhere else ; for this 
is the wrong chapter." 

"Well," said I (for it did seem as though I 
was talking to a person), " when I have read this 
chapter, if God does not speak to me, then I will 
take another." 

I continued reading, and soon came to the 
ninth verse : 

" Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy 
peace ; for / am with thee, and no man shall set 
on thee to hurt thee" 



54 BEULAH LAND. 



Instantly my sitting-room seemed filled with 
light above the brightness of the sun ; and such 
power came upon me that it seemed as though I 
feared nothing on the face of the earth. 

In a few moments these words came to me as 
if spoken by a person : 

" When the Spirit and the Word agree, it is 
always the will of God." 

I jumped to my feet as the application was 
made, and shouted, " Glory to God ! now I know 
that what I did was right. Dear Father, how I 
do praise thee for this revelation ! " 

The question was then settled, and that forever. 
When I went out to feed the pigs they were as 
quiet and contented as they could be. 

That fourteenth day of October, 1872, will 
never be forgotten, for it was the day of all days 
to me. 

Since the question was settled that it was the 
will of God for me to preach, I became some- 
what concerned to know when and where to 
begin. I thought it would be much easier for me 
to commence among strangers ; but that was not 
the mind of the Lord concerning me. If I had 



CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 55 

only made the second appointment when the 
Lord prompted me, how much better it would 
have been ; but since I did not, all that I could 
do was to ask the Lord to guide me, and strictly 
obey each command. I realized my inability to 
such an extent, that I thought I should never be 
of service to any one ; but I was soon conscious 
that God only wanted me for an instrument to 
use, and a vessel to fill ; therefore I need not 
fear. 

I went to prayer-meeting, and while there, felt 
impressed to make an appointment to preach on 
the next Tuesday evening. 

" Well,' 5 said I to myself, " if the steward that 
opposed me is not here, I will." I had no sooner 
than come to that conclusion, when in he came; 
and I let the meeting close without saying any- 
thing about it. As I was going home, it seemed 
as though I could hear the wails of the lost com- 
ing up from their place of torment, and encircling 
me. 

Before retiring I tried to pray, but could not, 
for all that I could see were lost souls. I 
went to sleep, and awoke in the morning feeling 



$6 BELTLAH LAND. 



no better. I tried again to pray, but failed, All 
light was obscured from my soul's vision. 

I could eat no breakfast, for the pressure was 
too terrible ; and I knelt and asked the Lord to 
let me know his whole will. Soon the Holy 
Spirit began to put questions : 

" Was I willing to be turned out of the church? 
and be misunderstood by the Christian people? 
and recognized as the off-scouring of society ? to 
be called insane and foolish ? and finally to have 
my relatives turn against and forsake me ? " 

It was a trying hour, but I said : 

" Yes, Lord, I am willing to have all of this 
done if it is thy will/ 1 I then saw two ways 
marked out very plainly before me : one leading 
to Heaven, by obedience, and the other to hell 
by disobedience. I said : 

" Lord, I will be obedient if it costs me every 
thing." 

My soul was again filled with unutterable 
peace and light, and was void of all fear concern- 
ing preaching. 



CHAPTER VI. 

"LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY." 

ON the second of November I preached my 
second sermon from Romans viii: 31, 
to a large and attentive audience, and the Lord 
helped me wonderfully ; just as he had promised. 
I received many invitations to preach, some being 
near home, which I accepted. I was very weak, 
physically, but this promise was both strengthen- 
ing and comforting : " Hope thou in God ; for 
I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my 
countenance." 

On the ninth I again preached to a large au- 
dience, from Hebrews xi: 1. I seemed almost 
confounded ; and to make matters worse, I heard 
an inexperienced minister criticising my sermon 
at the close of the service. It grieved me very 
much, for I had always recognized him as a friend 
and helper. I was tempted to never speak in 



58 BEULAH LAND. 



public again ; but then, I had promised to preach 
at several different places, and what should I 
do ? 

I then thought of my consecration. Had I not 
promised God to preach his Gospel, even though 
I was forsaken by all of my friends ? 

Did not my consecration include this unpleas- 
ant event ? 

I thought it all over, saying nothing to anyone 
but God, and again I said : 

"Though all forsake me, Jesus, I will preach 
thy Gospel." 

I was announced to preach in the "red school- 
house/ 5 about four miles distant, on the next 
Sabbath evening ; and imagine my feelings when 
all the text I could get was the first verse of the 
eleventh chapter of Hebrews. I felt like sinking 
at the thought of using that subject again, but 
I did, and the Lord helped me mightily. There 
was scarcely a dry eye in the house ; and the 
people pronounced it a wonderful service. Thus 
I learned to lean on God, and not on my own 
limited understanding. 

I soon commenced holding meetings every 



<( 



}) 



LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY. 59 



evening, which continued for four weeks before 
any one was converted ; but a few sought and ob- 
tained holiness. I had large congregations, and 
great liberty in speaking until one evening when 
the power of darkness seemed to withstand every 
word that I uttered. 

At the close of the sermon I requested all to 
speak for Jesus that desired to, and an old man 
arose and talked nearly as long as I had. There 
was no power in what he said, and very little 
sense, but I managed to endure it. Near the 
close of the service an unconverted gentleman, 
for whom we had long been praying, arose, and 
implored sinners to seek Christ. His talk sur- 
prised the people very much, for he, himself, was 
not converted that night. I felt more burdened 
for him than ever, until one afternoon, a few days 
later, when I was positive that the burden that 
had been on me, was on him, and I felt confident 
that he was not having a very enjoyable time. 

When my husband and I started for meeting 
that evening, we expected to be the first ones 
there ; but, to our surprise, we found him there. 
Said he : 



6o BEULAH LAND. 



" I suppose they will feel disappointed at home, 
for my wife's pastor appointed a prayer-meeting 
at our house, this evening ; but I could not stay 
away from here." 

When I gave the invitation for sinners to find 
Jesus, he was among the many who went forward 
and were powerfully converted. 

The meetings continued to increase in interest 
until some of the most hardened cases, with 
many others, were powerfully saved. 

In the commencement of the meetings, I asked 
the Lord to speak to me concerning them, and 
these promises were given me : Revelations iii : 
8, 9 : "I know thy works ; behold, I have set 
before thee an open door, and no man can 
shut it ; for thou hast a little strength, and hast 
kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of 
Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but 
do lie ; behold, I will make them to come and 
worship before thy feet, and to know that I have 
loved thee." 

How sure I was that the Lord would verify 
these promises in my case. Some of the breth 



"LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY." 6 1 



ren in the churches near by were very much 
opposed to the meetings, until I thought of clos- 
ing, when some of them came to me and said: 

" Sister Carter, you must not close these meet- 
ings now, for God is here in great power. We 
knew that you had great faith." 

How nauseating their praise made me feel ! 
Now that success had attended my labors, they 
were very loud with their praises ; but it found 
no place in my heart. 

Several times during the services, some of the 
people wanted to take a collection for me, but I 
would not allow it. 

The Lord showed me that, in this particular 
series of meetings, there were to be no collec- 
tions taken ; and after the meetings were over, I 
could see why : simply to prove to the world that 
it was not their money I wanted, but that their 
souls might be saved. 

The next spring I became very much inter- 
ested in " Garner's Primitive Methodist Theol- 
ogy." After I had studied it for sometime, I was- 
taken with severe pains in my temples and eyes, 
which soon caused me to become nearly blind. I 



62 BEULAH LAND. 



was compelled to remain in a dark room for 
weeks, and was not permitted to see one ray of 
light. I had previously, by urgent solicitation, 
engaged to teach our school ; and as the time 
was drawing near, I talked with the trustee and 
tried to persuade him to engage some one else. 
He would not ; and when commencement day 
arrived, I knelt and asked the Lord to speak to 
me by his promise, and immediately these words 
were given : "In six troubles I will be with thee, 
and in the seventh, I will never leave nor forsake 
thee;" on the strength of which I began teach- 
ing and my sight rapidly improved. 

One day one of my pupils said that the chil- 
dren wished to know if I would have a prayer- 
meeting with them after school. I did, and the 
little ones were greatly blessed. 

I met with great success in teaching, and my 
pupils were so attached to md that when I was 
visiting the place, some months later, and was 
walking on the lawn of my former home, which 
was in sight of the schoolhouse, about twenty 
of the scholars came running to see me. The 
teacher sent another one to tell them to return, 



"LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY." 63 

and that one remained, and then another one 
came to tell them that the teacher said that 
much time was being wasted, and they must 
come back, and so on until I had the whole 
school around me. I tried to persuade them to 
obey their teacher, but they said they didn't see 
me every day, and remained until the teacher 
came after them himself. 

During the following fall, I was invited to hold 
a series of meetings in the Split Rock Methodist 
Episcopal Church, which I accepted, and the 
salvation of many precious souls was the result. 
The revival flame spread, and I was invited to 
hold meetings in different churches, in adjoining 
districts, which I accepted, and the results were 
equally as grand. 

During the following year we rented our home 
and moved on to the Onondaga Hills, and com- 
menced holding meetings in our neighborhood. 
I had been there only a short time when I 
received an invitation from the Rev. Mr. Chrysler, 
to preach in Naverino Union Church, which I 
accepted. After a drive of five miles, on the fol- 
lowing Sunday, I entered the church, that was so 



64 BEULAH LAND. 



crowded I could scarcely make my way to the 
pulpit. I had great liberty in speaking, and just 
before the close of the service, Rev. Mr. Chrysler 
took an expression, to see if the people would 
like to have me preach for them on the following 
Sabbath. I remonstrated, by telling them that 
I had services at home that fully occupied my 
time ; but, in spite of it all, the vote was unani- 
mous, and I reluctantly promised to speak once 
more for them. The next Sabbath came, and 
the people plead with me to preach just once 
more. 

When the next appointment came, I was 
tempted to think there was no need of my going 
over those hills, and leaving my own meetings ; 
but if it was the will of the Lord for me to go, 
that he would save one soul beyond all doubt in 
that service. My text was in Daniel v : 27 : 
"Thou art weighed in the balances, and art 
found wanting/ ' When I was half-way through 
my sermon, a lady arose and began wringing her 
hands, while the tears were streaming down her 
cheeks, and said : 

"I am the person that yon are describing. 



"LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY. 65 

— ^— II I I I I » m ■ ■ ■■■■! — -^ ■ — ■ I ■ -■» ■ ■ . ■ ■ I ■■ ■ I. I — — ^M^— — ^^M^^^M I ■ ■■■■» — 

I'm a lost sinner ! Is there any hope for 
me ? Do you think there is? Oh, I'm lost, I'm 
lost ! Do pray for me ! " 

I stopped preaching, and invited all that 
wanted to find Jesus, to come to the altar; and 
immediately six responded and confessed Christ 
as their Saviour. Thus the Lord answered my 
prayer, which showed me very clearly that I was 
in his order. I dared not refuse to preach for 
them any longer, but promised to go once a 
week. 

The churcn was erected for union services, but 
one denomination had used it so long that they 
claimed it as theirs. My services came at an 
hour when it did not interfere with the pastor's 
in the least, and as several were converted at 
every service, it seemed advisable to hold a 
nightly series of meetings. We had only come 
to this conclusion, when the word came from one 
of the leading ministers in the conference : 

"That, since courtesy had ceased, the church 
would have to be closed against the services that 
Sister Carter was holding." 

""Well," said I, "if God doesn't want me to 



66 BEULAH LAND. 



preach in that church any longer, I'm sure 1 
don't want to ; but if he does, no power on earth 
can prevent me." Thus I prayed and rested 
concerning the whole affair, for I was positive 
the Lord had sent me to Naverino ; and what a 
blessing it was, that I had the question settled 
in the beginning of the work. Soon the final 
decision came that we could use the church no 
more. L exclaimed, "Praise the Lord ! " 

"But," said my informant, "there is a large 
schoolhouse right next to the church, that will be 
opened for you if you will accept it ; that you 
may use as long as you please, with the whole 
community to endorse you." 

I felt confident that it was the Lord's will for 
me to accept it, which I did, and we held our 
future services there. 

On Sunday I preached at home in the morning 
and then started alone for Naverino. Owing to 
the terrible storm, I held my umbrella in one 
hand, and the reins in the other, and drove over 
hills and through valleys, under the raking fire of 
the enemy. He would suggest : 

Now you can see that it is not right for you 



a 



LO, I AM WITH YOU AI/WAY," 6j 



to preach in that schoolhouse ; just see how it 
rains on your first appointment. There will be 
no one there, you see if there is. ,! It seemed as 
though there was a personal devil talking to me, 
so I answered him accordingly : 

" Well, Mr. Devil, whether any one else goes 
there to meeting or not, I'm going, for the Lord 
has sent me ; and it is not going to rain when I 
come back, either." I had driven about two 
and a half miles, when the victory came, and I 
shouted so that the hills and valleys resounded 
with my notes of praise. 

When the enemy saw that he was con- 
quered, he withdrew from the battle-field for a 
season. 

When I arrived at the schoolhouse it was well 
filled with attentive listeners ; and before the 
close of the service ten professed to find peace 
in Christ. I found that it took heavenly wisdom 
to know how to deal with the people, for they 
felt insulted by being turned out of the church ; 
but the Lord's word to me was : 

" Stand still and see the salvation of God ; ' 
also, "The battle is not yours ? but God's ; he will 



68 BEULAH LAND. 



fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace/' So 
I proposed to let him fight while I rested. 

The meetings had been held at the school- 
house only a short time, when one of the mem- 
bers of the church began to fail rapidly with 
consumption, and requested a friend to write a 
letter to her pastor, entreating him to reconsider 
the rash step that had been taken in turning 
Mrs. Carter and her Saviour out of the church ; 
and that, if he did not, she could not give her 
consent to remain a member of a church where 
her dear Saviour was being dishonored. Her 
pastor called, and told her that she was too near 
death to make any change in her church relation- 
ship. Said she : 

"I am just near enough Heaven to know the 
great importance of obeying God. I must deal 
faithfully with you, for I must soon meet it at 
the Judgment. She was a very devoted Chris- 
tian ; one whose life spoke for her Saviour in 
whatever circumstance she was placed. Just 
before she passed away, she requested her 
husband to have me preach her funeral sermon 
in the schoolhouse. I had never preached such 



t( 



LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY." 69 



a sermon before, and had some fears about being 
able to conduct it properly ; and I sent for a 
minister at Syracuse to be present, so that if I 
should fail, he could assist me. He said that he 
was more of a mind not to come, than to, for he 
thought it would be a valuable discipline for me, 
but that he would oblige me this time. My text 
was, " Blessed are the dead that die in the 
Lord," etc. 

The Lord gave me the wisdom and strength 
that I needed, so that I did not have to ask for 
any other assistance. Praise his dear name ! 

The revival meetings continued every evening 
for a number of weeks, and there were many 
converted at each service. 



CHAPTER VII. 

TOO LATE. 

AT the commencement of the meetings 
there was a young lady named Frankie, 
who was under such deep conviction that she 
came to the altar with the many others, but did 
not fully yield to God, and left without finding 
rest to her soul. The next evening she took her 
seat at the back of the house, and laughed and 
made sport during the entire service. I talked 
with her, but she seemed to grow more stubborn 
each day, and finally I let her alone. Souls were 
flocking to the Saviour, but nothing moved her. 
A few weeks later, I told the people that I was 
greatly afraid the next call to those who had 
slighted the Saviour during those meetings, 
would not be to the penitent form, but, instead, 
funeral bells, coffins, and shrouds. 

As I was passing out of the hall, I noticed 



TOO LATE. 71 



that Frankie was in tears. I plead with her 
once more to give her heart to the Saviour, but 
she would not. 

Then said I, " Frankie, we are now to have 
a vacation of two weeks, and I am afraid I shall 
never see you again ; but I do not think you can 
rise in the Judgment and say that I have not 
dealt faithfully with your soul." 

" No/' said she, "you have done all that you 
can for me, " and turned away, still weeping. I 
went home, and did not hear from the place for 
two weeks. When I returned, almost the first 
thing that I heard, was, " Frankie is dead ! ' 

" How did she die ? " I inquired. 

u Tust as she had lived," was the answer. 

H Of what disease ? " I asked. 

M Of malignant typhoid fever," said my inform- 
ant. " Just after you went home, the typhoid 
fever swept over the whole place, taking its 
victims from nearly every family. Frankie was 
taken sick, and, in a few hours, lost her reason. 
Her mother, sister, and herself died in less than 
two weeks, — unprepared." 

Thus it proved as I had told her : that we 



72 BEULAH LAND. 



would never meet again in this world. I thanked 
God with all my heart that I had called on nearly, 
if not quite, every family in the place, and had 
dealt faithfully with their souls. 

During the following summer a minister came 
to see if he could get me to preach for him near 
Dexterville, Oswego Co. I thought I had suffi- 
cient work at home, but promised him I would 
pray over it. I did so, and decided to preach 
once for him. 

The Lord helped me wonderfully at Dexter- 
ville, and souls were saved during the first 
service. The people greatly desired to have me 
preach for them again, which I promised to do, 
and left another appointment for four weeks 
later. 

My traveling expenses were paid, and that was 
all ; but I felt confident that the Lord would be 
pleased to have me preach for him there, for 
there were multitudes of starving souls for whom 
the Saviour died, who were unable to pay much, 
if anything, toward the support of the Gospel. 
I had preached only a few times at Dexterville, 
when I was again urged to hold a series of 



TOO LATE. 71 



meetings there, which I promised to do. I 
returned home, took up my appointments, and 
made all necessary arrangements for being ab- 
sent, and then returned to Dexterville. 

The house was filled to its utmost capacity, 
and crowds were obliged to leave. Souls com- 
menced being saved at the second service, and 
when I closed the meetings, three weeks later, 
many were rejoicing in the saving power of God. 
I had been home only a short time when I 
received an invitation to spend a week, to rest, 
at Dexterville, which I accepted. But when I 
arrived, I learned that a meeting was appointed 
for me that evening, for all of the people wanted 
to see me at the same time. Several were con- 
verted during the service, and I was urged to 
speak on the following evening, which I did, and 
continued to for two weeks, — souls being saved 
at every service. I then returned home to rest ; 
for I was unable to find any among such an 
eager company. During my five weeks' stay 
there, I wore common print dresses, so that no 
one could say their clothes were too poor 
to attend meeting. The children were often 



74 BEULAH LAND. 



obliged to go barefooted, and men wore blue-jean 
overalls, who could afford no better ; but how 
their faces shone when they triumphed in Jesus' 
name ! On my return home, I found more calls 
for my services than I could possibly accept, 
from far and near. Most of them were from 
settled pastors, and not a few from communities 
where there were no services. When I laid 
them before the Lord, he would almost invariably 
direct me to go among the poor. How glad I 
was that Jesus said, u And the poor have the 
Gospel preached unto them. ,, 

Many of my friends asked me why I did not 
accept the calls where I w r ould be the best 
remunerated ; but my answer was : 

"I can only go where the Lord sends me ; if I 
did otherwise, I would be utterly worthless/ 1 
As soon as I returned home I resumed my 
preaching, and music teaching, and received 
a cordial welcome, by both pupils and audi- 
ences, for we seemed like one family for miles 
around. 

In the winter I accepted a call to the Gramby 
Centre Methodist Episcopal Church, situated 



TOO LATE. 75 

half-way between Dexterville and Fulton, for 
which place my husband and I started in our 
private conveyance a few mornings after. 

We had gone only a few miles when it com- 
menced to snow, and when we had got about half- 
way through our journey, we found that the 
roads were almost impassable. Our horse lost 
the track and seemed unable to take another 
step; but we managed to get him started again, 
and drove perhaps five miles, when the wind 
began to blow, fairly blinding our eyes. In a 
few moments my umbrella was turned inside out, 
and completely broken to pieces, which left us to 
the mercies of the raging storm. It was draw- 
ing near night, and we were ten miles from our 
destination. Our horse was becoming very 
weary, and I feared would not be able to carry us 
through. I asked the Lord to give him new 
strength, and to protect us in that cold, bluster- 
ing storm. In a few moments the horse began 
to move faster and faster, just as though he 
had been resting, and we both remarked how com- 
fortable we were. When we were about one 
mile from our destination, it commenced bluster- 



76 BEULAH LAND. 



ing so that we could not see a rod ahead of us. 
It was quite dark, and we could not see where to 
drive, and all at once we came to a stand-still. 
The horse was stuck fast in the drifts. 

What could we do ? 

Was it possible the Lord wanted us to per- 
ish in sight of our stopping place ? 

We again lifted our heart in prayer to the One 
that held the storm in his hand, asking guidance 
in that hour of perplexity. We backed the 
horse out of the drifts by lifting the sleigh, and 
then gave him the reins, and bade him go, asking 
God to guide him. He turned completely out of 
the road, and went up a bank close beside 
the fence, and trotted off as though nothing 
had happened. We felt no concern, for we had 
asked God to guide him, and believed that he 
would. In a few moments we were safely 
housed with our friends, and our faithful horse 
was well cared for. One of our friends had just 
returned from Fulton, where he had been expect- 
ing to find us at the depot, and was almost 
chilled through coming only a few miles. 

Very soon we were called to tea, which was 



TOO LATE, J? 



very acceptable ; and after prayers, we retired for 
the night. 

The next evening the church was so filled with 
people, to hear the lady preacher, that the floor 
settled one inch. I was told that it had never 
been so full since it was built. A dear old 
Presbyterian brother, who lived at the Centre, 
thought a great deal of union, and feared my 
coming would cause a disunion ; so he did not 
come to hear me the first evening. Some con- 
sidered it absurd for a lady to even speak in 
church, saying nothing about preaching, and one 
minister said to some of his people : 

" Why, if you must have a woman preacher, I 
will part my hair in the middle, and put on 
petticoats, and preach for you." 

Such a remark would be decidedly unbecoming 
for one of the scums of society, but was uttered 
by a minister of the Gospel. I was only grieved 
for him — not myself. On the second evening 
the church was packed to its utmost capacity. 
In the audience was the Presbyterian brother. 
He came to me at the close of the service, and 
said : 



/8 BEULAH LAND. 



" I live just across the street, and would be 
pleased to entertain yourself and husband, as 
long as you lemain in the place." 

This was a victory ; for he was the wealthiest 
gentleman at the Centre. 

We remained at his elegant home as long as 
we stayed in the Gramby, and had all of the 
luxuries that money could buy. 

The meetings continued with unabated interest, 
for two weeks, when I had to return home to fill 
appointments there, and attend to my large class 
of pupils. I had been home only a short time 
when I received a call from a gentleman from 
Gramby, who said that he had been sent by the 
people of that place to see if we would move 
there ; and that our Presbyterian brother offered 
to pay half of the rent of a fine farm, that would 
be partly planted for us, if we would accept it. 
We told him that we could not giye him a 
definite answer then, but would pray over it, and 
let him know at an early date. We did so, and 
felt confident that the Lord wanted us to accept 

When I told the people in Onondaga and 



TOO LATE. 79 



Naverino that we were going to leave them, they 
felt very badly, and held out tempting induce- 
ments for me to remain; but nothing could 
tempt me to disobey God. 

When I gave my farewell lessons I prayed 
with each of my pupils, and was forced to tear 
myself away, for their tears and entreaties to 
remain, together with an addition of thirty pupils 
to my class, was more than I could have stood, 
had . I not been positive that the Lord wanted 
me in Gramby. 

When I arrived at my new home, I was 
delighted with the place, foi everything bespoke 
health and comfort. Soon after my arrival, I 
had a great desire to attend a camp-meeting at 
Clyde, and asked the Lord to send money enough 
to pay all expenses, if it was his will for me 
to go. 

On the next Sabbath I received six dollars, 
and on the one following, twenty-four ; so I had 
just the amount for which I had prayed. I 
invited my friends to go, and each family to put 
in a piece of unbleached muslin, and we would 
make our own tent, and pitch it, and hold a 



80 BEULAH LAND. 



meeting in it before we went. They did so, and 
a number of ladies met at a friend's, whose house 
was centrally located, and I cut and basted the 
tent, eighteen by twenty-four feet, and they 
stitched it on their machines. 

In the evening, some of the gentlemen pitched 
it just across the street, and we held a prayer 
and praise service in it. It was filled with 
people, and we had a glorious time, for the Holy 
Spirit was present in great power. When we 
dedicated it at Clyde, there were many converted, 
Praise God ! 

The name of the tent was " Ebenezer," written 
in large letters across the front, and just below it 
were these words : " Come unto me all ye that 
are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you 
rest." One day the power of the Lord was in 
our midst in a wonderful manner ; and while we 
were standing, and singing, twelve persons were 
slain as though they had been cut down with a 
scythe ; six in one direction, and six in the other. 
Just after that service we were told that sixty 
drunken Catholics were coming on the ground in 
the evening, to pull up all of the tents, and break 



TOO LATE. 8 1 



up the camp, and that we had better leave a 
watcher with our tent, as it stood right at the 
entrance. 

We had entirely forgotten it when evening 
came, and left everything as we usually did, and 
went to meeting. We were afterwards told that 
they came, with their clubs, but instead of doing 
as they had threatened, walked quietly on the 
ground and took their seats, and left just the 
same ; and one was heard to remark that God was 
there. 

When the meetings closed, many new-born 
souls were rejoicing in the saving power of God ; 
and we returned home feeling much refreshed, 
both spiritually and physically. 



CHAPTER VIIL 

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC. 

IN the fall I accepted a call to preach at the 
Thompson District, five miles from Oswego. 
When the meetings were at their height, and 
many were being saved, my eldest daughter, little 
Belle, who had accompanied me, was taken with 
a very severe attack of inflammatory rheumatism. 
She was under the care of a skillful physician, 
but grew worse every moment, until at the expi- 
ration of two weeks, her cries became almost 
unendurable. 

I knelt by her bedside, and she prayed : 
" Dear Heavenly Father, have mercy on 
Belle's poor little body. If it be thy will, heal 
me now ; and if not, please take me to thyself, 
for Jesus' sake. Amen." 

She then fell asleep, a privilege she had not 
enjoyed for two weeks* and when she awoke, her 



CROSSING THE ATLANTIC. 83 



fever was all gone. When the physician called, 
he said : 

" Well, well, well ! what a change there is in 
her." 

"Yes," said I, "the Lord has healed her, so 
we shall not need your services any longer." 

The next day she walked down stairs, and from 
that day to this, she has not had another symp- 
tom of rheumatism. 

When I returned home at the close of the 
Thompson District revival, among the calls that 
I found awaiting my arrival, was one to Grace 
Chapel, Oswego. I accepted the invitation, and 
preached my first sermon there January J, 
1 877. It was such a novelty to hear a woman 
preach, that a portion of the audience was com- 
posed of rowdies, who were generally known as 
the "Band of Forty Thieves." They would ap- 
plaud me, without any cause, and often stand 
right up and mock me. I asked them to please 
keep quiet, and even went and spoke to them 
personally ; but they had the idea that they were 
going to do just as they pleased, and I had the 
idea that they were not. After I had spoken 



84 BEULAH LAND. 



kindly to them for three evenings without suc- 
cess, I began to talk law, and told them that I 
was going to have order, for I had never known 
defeat, and never expected to. 

The next morning the city recorder sent me 
word that I need have no more concern about 
order, only to ask my ushers to take the names 
of the disturbing parties and send them to him. 
I did so, and six were arrested the first night, 
and " fined twenty-five dollars, or thirty days in 
jail, ,> after which I always had perfect atten- 
tion. 

Each evening it was necessary to have four 
policeman from the church door to the gate, to 
keep the crowds from trampling on another; for 
after the church was so filled that there was not 
even standing room for another person, the large 
grounds around it, and the sidewalk in front of it, 
were packed with people trying to get a glimpse 
of "the woman preacher.' The meetings con- 
tinued for nine weeks, during which time there 
were several hundred conversions. 

I was invited to speak in different parts of the 
city, and I think it was merely through cour- 



CROSSING THE ATLANTIC. 85 

tesy, — but not in a courteous manner, — that I 
received an invitation from one of the pastors to 
preach, one evening, from his pulpit. He sent 
the invitation by one of his members, and I sent 
word back that I would not speak for him unless 
he sent me a w r ritten invitation, and announced 
the same from his pulpit. When I met him at 
his church a few evenings later, he apologized by 
saying : 

" I hope you will pardon me, Mrs. Carter, for I 
thought if I advertised you, my church, although 
it is large, would not begin to hold the people.' 3 

The church did not hold all of the people, but 
I had great liberty in speaking, and some found 
the Saviour during that service. 

During my stay in the city, I received so 
many calls from the inquiring and anxious ones, 
that for weeks, yes, months, I could not eat 
my meals leisurely, nor find a spare moment for 
myself. 

I received so many calls for my services, during 
my stay there, that, had I accepted them, it 
would have kept me busy for years ; but I found 
that I had plenty to do between that time and 



86 BEULAH LAND. 



the first of June, to prepare for myself and family 
taking a trip to the Old World. 

The night before I left Oswego, I led a 
farewell service, which I shall always remember. 
As I stood by the pulpit shaking hands and say- 
ing good-by to the hundreds that were passing 
before me, some of whom were crying audibly, it 
presented as touching a scene as I ever witnessed. 
The next morning the depot and platform were 
filled with people to say good-by, perhaps for the 
last time, and about a half a mile up the track, 
were those that wished to say they saw us 
last. 

On Saturday morning, June 16, our steamer, 
the proud old Britanic, shoved off from the shores 
of New York ; and as I watched the land recede 
from view, the silent tears began to trickle down 
my cheeks, for the thought would come, " Per- 
haps I shall never see America again." 

We arose early the next morning, and managed 
to get on deck, for all were quite ill, except my- 
self. I looked around on the melancholy faces, 
and thought that perhaps a little singing would 
not make them feel any worse, so I sung : 



CROSSING THE ATLANTIC. 8/ 



" There is power in Jesus* blood, 
To heal both body and soul.'' 

The sick opened their eyes in surprise to hear 
one sing under such circumstances, and when I 
had finished, a Norwegian lady, with tears 
streaming down her pale cheeks, said : 

"Dat ish goot, dat ish goot; shing shum 
more; dat ish so goot, it make me so much 
bether ; oh shing shum more." 

I sang another piece, and when I had finished, 
I asked her if she loved Jesus ; she replied : 

" Oyrsh, me loves Shesus, but me am afraid to 
die." 

Just then one of the stewards came on deck 
and said to me : 

" You are the kind of a lady to have on board, 
for you are so cheerful all of the time." 

"My happiness," said I, "comes from the 
Lord. He saves me from all sin, and I am not 
afraid of sickness or death. Are you a Christian, 
sir?" . 

He replied, " No, madam/ 5 ' and passed on. 

One evening as I was watching the sun, which 
seemed to be pillowing itself on the bosom of the 



88 BEULAH LAND. 



inexhaustible waters, I was prompted to appoint 
a prayer-meeting, so that the unsaved could have 
the opportunity of pillowing their weary heads 
on the bosom of their Saviour. I shrank from 
doing so, but when I looked over to the place 
that I had been prompted to occupy, I saw a 
"young man sitting there, playing "trashy" music 
on an accordion, and I said to myself, " I will not 
be less anxious to honor my Saviour than he is 
the Devil/' So I appointed a prayer-meeting for 
the next morning. 

At the appointed hour, I went to the stern of 
the vessel and began singing, and in a few 
moments had quite an audience. I prayed, and 
then talked for a few moments, and gave otheas 
the opportunity, but only a few improved it. 
Before I closed, I appointed another meeting for 
the afternoon of the same day. At each service 
the people were more anxious to have another, 
and when we were about to step upon the 
soil of England, many told me that they had 
been greatly benefited by the meetings. 

It was nine o'clock the morning of June 27th, 
when we arrived in Liverpool. After we had 



CROSSING THE ATLANTIC. 89 

made our toilet at the hotel, I said to my hus- 
band: 

" I wish we had time to walk out on some of 
the main streets before train time/' 

He replied : 

"We are on one of the main streets." 

I was surprised for I certainly thought that the 
main streets would be wider and less dingy; and 
I asked : 

■"■ Is all England like this ? " 

Shortly after dinner, we were on our way to 
Lowestoft, Suffolk County, where my husband's 
uncle and aunt resided. The cars were quite a 
novelty to me, for instead of the entrance being 
at the end of the car as it is in America, the 
doors were in the side ; and each car was divided 
into separate apartments, with seats for perhaps 
ten persons. We arrived in Norwich, where we 
remained long enough to take a ramble through 
the old castle, and then proceeded with our jour- 
ney. We observed that the natural scenery was 
beautiful, and that many farms, gardens, and 
yards, were enclosed with beautiful hedges, for 
which, I afterwards learned, England was noted. 



90 BEULAH LAND. 

We arrived in Lowestoft in the afternoon of 
the next day, and after a short drive down Lon- 
don Road, were in front of the handsome resi 
dence of Uncle Cunningham. 

You can imagine the family's surprise when 
they saw us, for they did not even know that we 
intended to visit Europe. After our greeting 
was over, and a thousand and one questions had 
been asked, we were summoned to tea, after 
which, we were excused for the night, owing to 
our being so very weary. 




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CHAPTER IX. 

IN EUROPE. 

LOWESTOFT is a town of fifteen thousand 
inhabitants, situated on the coast of the 
German Ocean, and is a fashionable summer 
resort. 

The Esplanade furnishes a walk and retreat 
that is grand beyond description. There one 
can sit and while away many hours, watching 
multitudes of children playing in the sand on the 
beach, or the young and gay strolling by. Off 
to the left may be seen the pier, very nearly 
covered with people, who had to pay one penny 
each, for the privilege of walking there. To the 
right is Wellington Terrace, a beautiful walk lead- 
ing to Kirkley, a more ancient part of the town. 
Out in the harbor may be seen little boats dart- 
ing here and there, managed by skillful oarsmen, 
while others are driven by well-filled sails, 



92 BEULAH LAND. 



Very nearly opposite the entrance of the pier 
is the Royal Hotel ; and just below the North 
Pier is the New Ness Light-house, that has, by 
its revolving light, warned many a mariner of 
danger. 

The first street back of the Esplanade is the 
Marine Parade, which is beautiful in the extreme. 
On one side of the street are residences, and on 
the other are beautiful gardens, which present a 
very pleasing aspect. London Road is the third 
from the ocean ; and the part occupied by Uncle 
Cunningham is called Elizabeth Terrace, which 
is none the less beautiful. 

After I had been in Lowestoft two weeks, Mr. 
Aams, the mayor of the town, invited me to 
preach at Mill Road Chapel, on the next Sabbath 
afternoon, which I accepted. 

The next day I read the announcement that I 
was to not only speak in the afternoon, but in the 
evening, also ; which was news to me. 

On Sunday, aunt accompanied me to the 
chapel. There were several ministers present, 
and the large edifice was packed with people. 
The Lord helped me to preach the unadulterated 



IN EUROPE. 93 



truth, and to cry out against all manner of intoxi- 
cating liquors. I did not know what the result 
would be, for the English people are wedded to 
their stout, beer, and wine. On our way home, 
aunt said : 

" Melissa, the people of England will not stand 
your kind of preaching. We are not accustomed 
to having every little sin specified ; for our 
ministers generalize more." 

Then said she, with considerable emphasis : 

"It will never do Melissa, it will never do. ,! 

"Well," said I, "Auntie, Jesus tells us of our 
sins, and teaches us how to get rid of them ; and 
if my telling this people that the use of strong- 
drink is a sin, gives them offence, then they will 
have to be offended ; for I am not going to com- 
promise with them, and am willing to take the 
consequences, in the name of the Lord." 

She was silent on that subject after that. As 
I entered the chapel in the evening, and was 
pressing down the crowded aisle, I so fully 
realized my nothingness, that it would have been 
a relief to have gone out of sight ; but since that 
could not be, I entered the pulpit, took my text, 



94 * BEULAH LAND. 



and began preaching. I think I had spoken 
about three minutes, when there was such a 
sense of God's presence all around me, that I 
was silent for a moment, and then there seemed 
to be a cloud of glory settling over the entire 
congregation. After I was through preaching, 
many inquiring souls found peace in believing. 

- 

Thus the Lord took care of my straight preach- 
ing. 

The next morning Rev. Mr. Rix, pastor of 
Mill Road Chapel, called to express his gratitude 
for my plain dealing with his people, and also to 
invite myself and family to dine with him, at 
Palmerston Villas. At four o'clock the carriage 
was waiting, and we found it to be a delightful 
drive. 

Mr. Rix was somewhat perplexed in regard to 
holiness, which I explained as best I could, and, 
I trust, satisfactorily to him. After spending 
a very pleasant afternoon, we all accompanied 
him to Mill Road Chapel, where the reverend 
gentleman preached from these words : " When I 
am weak, then am I strong." 

I am surprised to find so few in America, as 



IN EUROPE. 95 



well as England, who understand Scriptural 
holiness. People seem to be perfectly contented 
to live an up-and-down life of sinning and re- 
penting ; but since the Lord has wholly saved 
me, it seems very strange that so many pro- 
fessors of the religion of Jesus Christ fail to see 
their privilege in him ; for it is not only God's 
will that we should have life, but that we should 
have it more abundantly ; and to not only have 
peace occasionally, but perfect peace ; for he 
is kept in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on 
God The delight of my life is to preach Jesus 
as a perfect Saviour ; and I intend to, God help- 
ing me, as long as I live. 

One afternoon while I was visiting with some 
of Cousin Minas friends, a Mr. Page asked me if 
I would allow him to ask me a question. I gave 
my consent, and he said : 

" Will you please tell why you dress perfectly 
plain, while all of those around you are adorned 
with trimmings and jewels ? " 

" It gives me great pleasure/ 1 said I, " to have 
the opportunity of telling you. Did you not 
know that the Bible teaches it ? " 



96 BEULAH LAND. 



" Why, no," he replied ; " I never heard of such 
a- thing." By this time Miss Spurgeon, Cousin 
Mina, and uncle, were becoming thoroughly 
interested, and each in turn gave expression to 
their surprise* 

"Well," said I, " I don't wonder at your being 
so astonished at what I have said, when we see 
so much pride and vanity in all of our churches ; 
but, notwithstanding all of this, what I have said 
is true ; and, Mina, if you will let me take a 
Bible, I will prove it." 

I turned to first Peter, third chapter, and 
began reading at the third verse. 

" Whose adorning let it not be that outward 
adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of 
gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be 
the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not 
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and 
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God, of great 
price." 

" For after this manner in the olden time, the 
holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned 
themselves." 

Also First Peter ii : 9 : " But ye are a 



IN EUROPE. 97 



chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy 
nation, a peculiar people : that ye should shew 
forth the praises of him who hath called you out 
of darkness into his marvelous light." 

Also, First Tim. ii : 9-10 : " In like manner 
also, that women adorn themselves in modest 
apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety ; not 
with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly 
array : but (which becometh women professing 
godliness) with good works." 

As I closed the Bible and looked up, I asked : 

" What do you think of it ? " 

They answered in a subdued tone : 

"- It is true." 

"Then," said I, " since the Scripture is true, 
can you see any other than the path of obedience 
leading to heaven ? " 

" I know that it is argued that God does not 
require us to dress plainly, for fear we may 
attract attention ; and some have said that if 
they looked as well in plain dresses as I, they 
would not hesitate one moment to dress likewise ; 
but the Scripture does not teach us that to obey 
God is going to make us appear well in the esti- 



98 BEULAH L.VND. 



mation of others ; for, if it did, there would be 
the opportunity to cultivate pride in eccentricity, 
as well as in following the world. But when one 
comes out from the world and is separate for 
Jesus* sake, — for the sake of the One who died on 
Calvary to purchase us a full and complete cleans- 
ing from our sins, — there will be no hankering 
after the gewgaws and useless, — yes, more than 
useless ! — adornings of this world." 

" Some look upon the plainly-dressed pilgrim in 
disgust, and say, i They do not think that God robs 
one of all self-respect when he converts them, 
and leave them without any taste whatever.' 

" No, neither do I ; for if the latest fashion from 
Paris was for ladies' dresses to be made perfectly 
plain, and that no crimps or jewels were to be 
worn under any consideration, and that face 
powder, bustles, and French-heeled boots were to 
be abandoned, six months -would not pass be- 
fore every devotee of fashion would be as plainly 
dressed as possible, and consider it in good taste ; 
but you will allow me to say, that there is no 
good taste except in perfect obedience to the will 
of God in all things. " 



y 



IN EUROPE. 99 



"How many homes have been broken up, and 
business men made bankrupt, by the extrava- 
gance of their wives and pleasure-seeking 
daughters, simply because it was customary to 
do this or that ; and when they were spoken to 
about it, they would invariably reply, ' Why ! 
our pastor wears gold in abundance, and his wife 
is as gayly dressed as any lady that enters the 
church; so there can be no harm in doing so,' 
and thus blindly they pass downward until their 
feet take hold on death and hell." 

"A lady once said to me : 

* Mrs. Carter, my Bible teaches me that I am 
to wear the kind of clothing that is becoming to 
me/ Said I, 'Are you sure that it reads in 
that way ? -' " 

" Most assuredly I am/' she replied. 

I opened my Bible and read : " But (which 
becometh women professing godliness) with good 
works.' • 

" You see, my aear, n said I, " that it does not 
say that such clothing is to be becoming to us 
out of Christ, but rather to become our pro- 
fession as followers of the Saviour, The question 



IOO BEULAH LAND. 



of dress is not a minor point in our experiences, 
as some would have it, for no point is minor that 
has a " thou shalt not," or a " thou shalt," at- 
tached to it in the Scripture. Neither can it 
be treated in an indifferent manner, and receive 
(rod's approbation. 

" We are citizens of another country, therefore 
our dress and life is the outward evidence of the 
inward change in the heart. ' A great many- 
have said, ' Mrs. Carter, since you are so radical 
on these points, I should think you would take 
less pride in waving your hair so beautifully.' 
The answer that I always make is, 'The Lord 
has given me wavy hair, and it is without any 
effort of mine that it is as you see it/ 

I then turned to Mr. Page and asked him if he 
was a Christian. He replied, "I am not; but 
there is something about the religion that you pro- 
fess that charms me, and I want the same kind. ,! 

I am happy to say that he sought and obtained 
the pearl of great price, and understood, as he 
said, that he had long desired to, the secret of 
my constant happiness. 

I will here insert a few lines clipped from the 



IN EUROPE. IOI 



editorials in the Contributor, which I believe were 
written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost : 
"If, in the other world, the records of human 
lives are thrown open to the public, it will be 
painful to see how many souls Satan has tripped 
over into perdition with the question of dress. 
It may not seem to hold comparison in its 
dreaded results, with avarice and greed, rum and 
gambling, theatres and balls, but it will certainly 
be appalling enough to find how bondage to 
fashion has made immortal souls unmindful of 
eternity and heaven. Parents and teachers who 
seek the happiness of their children here and 
hereafter, cannot be too persevering in training 
them to such an estimate of life as will keep 
dress in its very simple and subordinate place in 
their thought and affection. Scripture is em- 
phatic in its inculcation of simplicity of apparel 
and manners ; and a true refinement and intelli- 
gent taste agree with the teaching, and have 
expressed themselves in the couplet from the 
\ New Pasciad : ' 

'Learn thou this most infallible of rules, 
The 'taste' of Fashion is the law of fools.' " 



T02 BEULAH LAND. 



Miss Spurgeon and Cousin Mina, decided to 
follow in the plain path of Jesus. 

As time passed, my circle of acquaintances 
increased, and I received so many calls for my 
services that it was impossible to think of accept- 
ing them. One day while aunt and I were 
talking about them, she said : 

" I do not think you will be invited to preach 
in the St. Peter's Street Church, for they are 
such an aristocratic people." A few hours later, 
I was summoned to the parlor, and was intro- 
duced to the pastor of " St. Peter's Street 
Church." After a pleasant conversation, he 
asked me if I would preach for him on the 
next Sabbath morning? I promised to do so. 
When I told aunt the nature of his call, she 
said : 

"Well, well, Fm astonished ! for I never ex- 
pected that they would want such plain preach- 
ing in their church ; but I see that plain preach- 
ing or dress does not make you any the less 
popular." 

On the twenty-second of July I was invited to 
attend a camp-meeting that was to be held in a 



IN EUROPE, IO3 



ten-acre field. Of course I expected to see tents, 
preachers' stand, etc.; but imagine my surprise 
when I saw neither, and not even a seat. 

The preachers' stand was a lumber wagon, 
which I refused to mount, but stood on a rise of 
ground to address the audience. In the evening 
I preached at the Brickfields, and twelve pro- 
fessed to find the Saviour. 

The next day Mr. Spurgeon, uncle, my family 
and myself, took a delightful ride in the country. 
We passed Sotterly Hall, which stands quite a 
distance from the road, almost hidden from view 
by the grove that surrounds it. I looked at it 
through a glass, which enabled me to count 
thirty-two windows in the front. It is a plain 
white building, and the contrasting foliage that 
surrounds it, together with the beautiful entrance 
and driveway, gives it a very pleasing appear- 
ance. 

We drove to Wrentham and called on uncle's 
sister, Mrs. Harwood, at Mill Villa, and after 
looking at her beautiful garden, returned to 
Lowestoft by the way of Kessingland, Pakefield, 
and Kirkley, 



104 BEULAH LAND. 



The next Sunday I preached twice at Wren- 
tham, and on Monday visited Covehith, where I 
saw the ruins of an ancient church that was 
destroyed in 1643, during the civil war of Charles 
the First. In 1672 there was a small church 
built inside the ruins of the old one. The tower 
of the ancient church yet remains, in which are 
five bells well toned. There also remains some 
portion of the outer walls, which display some 
fine arches and rich tracery, being nearly cov- 
ered with ivy and woodbine. The next afternoon 
Mrs. Harwood and I drove to Halesworth, where 
she introduced me to a reverend gentleman, that 
asked : 

"Ah ! is this the Mrs. Carter of America ? " 

I told him that it was. 

"Did you receive a letter from me yester- 
day?" 

When I told him that I had not, he continued : 

"I have heard of your successful work in 
Lowestoft and elsewhere, and our Presiding 
Elder and other ministers, wish to secure your 
services as evangelist for the entire Methodist 
Connection/* 



IN EUROPE. I05 



I told him that I thought that would be next 
to impossible, for I was then making preparations 
to return to America. 

When I went to England, I supposed that I 
would have a good opportunity to rest, being an 
entire stranger, but very few evenings passed 
that found me -.out of the pulpit. Sometimes I 
would preach two sermons in one evening, in 
different parts of the city, and as the churches 
would not hold the people, I spoke in the roller 
skating rink ; and the paper stated that a great 
many were obliged to leave, even then. I 
preached a great many times at the Seamen's 
Bethel, and it was very touching to see hundreds 
of sailors, all dressed in blue, with their brown 
faces filled with delight . as they heard about 
Jesus. On the nineteenth of September there 
was a tea given in our honor, by the ladies of the 
Brickfields, and I was advertised, with the many 
other speakers of the evening. Mr. Adams 
arose and said : 

" Although you are to hear from many distin- 
guished gentlemen, Mrs. Carter is the lion of the 
evening," 



106 BEULAH LAND. 



I was the last to speak, and after I sat down I 
noticed a large family Bible lying on the desk. 
I did not have much time to think about it, when 
Mr. Adams, the chairman of the meeting, arose, 
and after an elaborate speech presented it to me: 
also a pale-blue tea service, from the Sabbath- 
school. I was so perfectly surprised that it was 
in broken accents I expressed my thanks. On 
the fly-leaf of the Bible was this inscription : 

" Presented to Mr. and Mrs. Carter, of Oswego, 
U. S., by their friends connected with the Primi- 
tive Methodist Society, at the Brickfields, Lowes- 
toft, England, in commemoration of their stay in 
their midst, and in acknowledgment of their 
earnest and very successful labors in the summer 
of 1877, with praise to God on their behalf, and 
the united prayer that their lives may long be 
spared to be devoted to the cause of Christ, 
which they have been enabled so well to serve 

in the past. 

" Mary Ayden Pearse, 

Society Steward" 
September 20, 1877. • 

The Bible, the dearest of all books to me, is 



IN EUROPE. 10/ 



now lying on the Bible-stand in my sitting-room, 
and I never look at, or read out of it, without my 
mind going back to the dear ones, and the even- 
ing of its presentation. 

I accepted an invitation to preach a farewell 
sermon at Wrentham, at the close of which I 
was presented with a full tea-service of white 
china, cut glass, and silver. The next morning, 
before I returned to Lowestoft, a poor little 
orphan girl called, and handed me a little book- 
mark that read, " Forget me not. n Said she: 

" Dear Mrs. Carter, I do love you so much, 
that I must give you something to remember me 
by, for it was you that taught me to love Jesus. 
Auntie said that she was afraid you would not 
accept such a little gift, but I wanted to give you 
something/' 

I told her that I prized it as I could not any- 
thing else, and would always keep it, and remem- 
ber the little " lamb ' that gave it. When I 
kissed her good-by, she cried as though her 
little heart would break, and finally said : 

"I'm going to see you in Heaven, Mrs, 
Carter," 



I08 BEULAH LAND. 



"My dear," I said, "may I feel that you are 
praying for me, that I may always be faithful to 
God, and win many souls to him ? " 

She said, "Yes ma'am j " and turned away. 
The book-mark has ever since remained in a flex- 
ible-covered Bible I received while in England, 
and that is now quite a bit worn ; and I often 
remember the little girl, and the many others 
that gave me the exquisite tokens of remem- 
brance, and offer a silent prayer that they may 
always be kept, in prosperity or adversity, near 
to the Saviour. 



CHAPTER X. 

STORM AT SEA. 

TT MONG the many places of note I visited, 
yjL was the Peterborough Cathedral, a mas* 
sive structure of granite, supported by huge pil- 
lars. The walls are of unfinished stone, which 
gives the interior a very sombre appearance ; the 
floor is made of the tombstones of noted persons, 
while underneath are vaults containing their re- 
mains. The guide showed us a tombstone that 
was one thousand years old ; also those of Eliza- 
beth, Queen of England, Mary, Queen of Scots, 
and other personages. The main building was 
erected seven hundred years ago, and the Sab- 
bath-school apartment had been standing three 
hundred years. We passed through the first 
part into the second, which is used for the regular 
services. The walls were of the most exquisite 
carvings I ever beheld, and looked like mahogany. 



tlO BEtJLAH LAND. 



The large cemetery adjoining the cathedral, 
looked very strange, as all of the tombstones lay 
flat on the ground, as they did in nearly every 
cemetery I saw while in England. 

The Yarmouth Temple was a brilliant build- 
ing. The front was of white stone, and the 
inner walls and ceiling were of pure white, with 
gilded grooves, which presented a very daz- 
zling appearance. The pews and large rostrum 
were of very dark wood. There were several 
large prayer and class-rooms, and a very large 
Sabbath-school apartment. If I remember cor- 
rectly, the Sabbath-school h&d a membership of 
six hundred pupils. I had the pleasure of at- 
tending one of the services at the Temple, and 
was invited by the pastor to preach the anniver- 
sary-sermon. 

Space prevents my giving a more detailed 
account of my travels, and I will pass over the 
last month, nearly all of which I spent in visiting 
places of note. I only informed my relatives the 
exact time that we were going to leave, so as to 
avoid a crowd at the station, and make the part- 
ing a little easier, after we had said good-by to 



STORM AT SEA. 1 1 I 



our loved ones, and realized that in a few days 
the wide blue waters of the Atlantic would sep- 
arate us, while we were being whirled farther and 
farther from them. 

# On the second of November we went on 
board the Bothnia, of the Cunard line, and set 
sail for America at nine o'clock the next morn- 
ing. The sea was very rough, with head winds, 
which increased every moment, until the ocean 
was like a vast caldron, with the fire of the pit 
beneath it. 

The fury of the storm rendered it impossible 
to hold meetings, but I would sing for the pas- 
sengers, until my voice could not be heard above 
the shrieking wind, the creaking of the riggings, 
and crashing of every movable thing. How I 
pitied the poor sailors who had to be exposed to 
the storm, and were in danger of being washed 
overboard at any moment ! I will now copy from 
my journal: 

Nov. 5. Heavy sea, with head winds which are growing 
worse every moment. God only knows what will become of us, 
but my confidence in him is unshaken. 

Nov. 6. Heavy sea, with stronger wind than yesterday. 
May God help us in this hour of extreme peril. 



112 BEULAH LAND. 



Nov. 7. The sun shines beautifully, but the sea is as heavy 
as ever, with increasing wind. Oh! a storm at sea; who can 
describe it ? The passengers begin to turn pale, and the old 
seamen shake their heads, while the captain paces the deck with 
blanched cheeks. 

Nov. 8. Just passed another fearful night. The waves, as 
they strike the bow of the ship, sound like a thousand thunders- 
Some of the time it does seem that the ship must tip over ; for 
one moment she is standing on her side, the next, is heaving and 
plunging, and then, trembling like a wounded deer. One lady 
said to me, " Why don't you pray for us, that we may be saved ? " 
Said I : 

" My dear, I am in constant prayer, but am afraid that you 
look more to the waves than you do to the Master of them. 
You give your heart to the Lord, and you will be as calm as I. 
You see I have no fear, and it is just because I trust in Jesus." 

Nov, 9. The storm is worse than it has been all the preced- 
ing days combined. Some of the old sailors say that they have 
not witnessed such a storm for over twenty years. The furious 
waves have dashed the bottom out of one of the best life-boats. 
Notwithstanding the howling wind and roaring waves, my heart 
is as calm and peaceful as ever, for my Heavenly Father has 
given me the assurance that he will pilot us safely into New 
York harbor. When it is turmoil without, I praise God it is 
only peace within. Some of the ladies are weeping and mourn- 
ing, for fear we will be lost. I point them to Jesus. 

Nov. 11. The storm is yet raging with unabated power, and 
the cry came in the night, " Lost ! We are lost ! " Some of the 
people came running to my state-room, and one woman cried : 
" We want to die near you. We cannot die with those sinners. 



STORM AT SEA. II3 



Do pray ! oh, do pray ! " I told them not to fear, for I had the 
evidence that the Lord would land us safely in New York. In 
a few moments I heard that the aft wheel-house was dashed to 
pieces, but all of this combined did not move me in the least. 
Belle and Ella are as quiet as I, for they say, ° We are going to 
land safely, for mamma says so." Oh! that every child of God 
believed and rested on his word, as they do on mine. The 
next cry that was heard, was, " The wind is going down ; thank 
God J" 

I have given only a faint description of the 
terrors of the storm, for some of the time we 
only made four miles an hour, and at the same 
time consumed ninety-two tons of coal a day. 
As the wind went down, we made more rapid 
progress, and on the sixteenth of November 
arrived in New York harbor. As we were 
rounding the pier, we saw that the wharf was 
filled with people, who were waving their hand- 
kerchiefs in response to ours, and cheers for the 
Bothnia came floating over the waters. As the 
steamer touched the dock, we all gave a final 
cheer. It was very touching to see the tears of 
joy as some of the passengers were folded in the 
embrace of those whom they had never expected 
to see again. 



114 BEULAH LAND. 



When we arrived at Oswego, • we were wel- 
comed by loving hearts, and outstretched, arms. 
On "the following day a Palladium reporter visited 
me, and the following was in the evening paper, 
entitled : " Sister Carter." 

" Mrs. Carter the evangelist, who gained considerable pop- 
ularity by her preaching and exhorting in this city last winter 
and spring, and who went to Europe in June last, returned on 
Thursday. It was rumored at the time of her departure, that a 
snug fortune awaited Mr. Carter somewhere in England, and 
that the object of the voyage was to secure it. A Palladium 
reporter visited Mrs. Carter this morning, and in a pleasant in- 
terview, learned the following interesting account of the trip. 
" We left," said Mrs. Carter, " in June, and the voyage across 
was very pleasant. I held meetings on the boat, assisted by an 
Episcopal clergyman, and succeeded in bringing some of the 
passengers to the Lord. We were nine days in crossing, and 
the interest in the meetings increased every .day. 

"After landing," continued Mrs. Carter, "we went directly to 
Lowestoft, a place of fifteen thousand inhabitants, on the coast 
of the German Ocean. Lowestoft is a fashionable watering- 
place, and the residence of an aunt and uncle of Mr. Carter. I 
stayed there four months, and during that time occupied nearly 
all of the pulpits in the place, and a great many in the country 
adjoining. I was very successful in my labors, and the people 
insisted I should stay with them, offering me tempting induce- 
ments. During my stay I was the recipient of a number of 
valuable presents*" 



STORM AT SEA. 115 



" You can just say," said she to the reporter, " that 'the min- 
isters in that country are not afraid of their pulpits, and I was 
made welcome to them all, without distinction. 

" The trip back on the Bothnia of the Cunard line was terri- 
ble, and similar to that of the Russia, which has recently been 
described in our columns. On account of the terrible rolling of 
the ship, meetings could not be held; but the ministrations of 
Mrs. Carter were most comforting to those in danger. * How 
about the fortune ? ' asked the reporter. ' My husband expected 
quite a fortune,' said she, 'but did not get much.' 

" Mrs. Carter has no definite plans for the future. She will 
continue her evangelistic work, she says, until she dies ; but has 
fixed on no location of residence. She has a call to go to Syra- 
cuse, and may spend the winter there. 

"Mrs. Carter's welcome home was very cordial, as her earnest 
labors have endeared her to a great many. The news of her 
arrival spread rapidly, and she is receiving congratulations from 
all quarters, on the success of her labors in England, and her 
safe return.'* 

Shortly after, I accepted a call by the pastor, 
to the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Minetto. 
After I had labored faithfully for some evenings, 
and a few had been converted, the work came to 
a stand-still. During my sermon it seemed as 
though the heavens were brass, and the earth 
was iron. Every word that I uttered seemed to 
fly back in my face. I invited sinners to find 



Il6 BEULAH LAND. 



the Saviour, but they did not heed it. There 
seemed to be a death-like stupor on the people, 
that I could not over-power. I was praying, 
continually, for Divine guidance, for I was com- 
pletely puzzled to know what to do, when a piece 
came to me, entitled, "Too Late." 

I arose, and as I began singing it, I was lost 
to all around me, and for a few moments seemed 
to be standing in eternity, witnessing the Judg- 
ment scene. I saw the congregation to whom 
I had preached that evening, condemned, and 
about to be cast into hell, with the blazing eyes 
of an offended God piercing them through. 
When I became conscious that I was singing the 
last line of the last verse, I seemed to be waking 
out of a sleep, and I saw the large altar filled 
with penitents, some of whom were weeping so 
that the carpet where they knelt was wet with 
their tears. In a few moments the scene was 
changed from mourning to rejoicing, and before 
that series of meetings closed, many souls were 
triumphing in Jesus' name. 

During the winter and spring, I also held re- 
vivals at Wolcott, South Butler, Lansing, and 



STORM AT SEA. 117 



Scriba, and the conversion of hundreds of souls 
was the result of my labors. 

I was invited by an infidel to hold meetings in 
his large cooper shop, in the eastern part of our 
city, which I accepted, for the winter of 1878, 
The large shop was filled to its utmost every 
evening, and many were converted. 

One evening while I was describing the Israel- 
ites' march around Jericho, and the people were 
listening almost breathlessly, there was a terrible 
crash overhead. The shock was so sudden that 
some almost fainted, while others rushed, panic- 
stricken, for the door. As soon as my voice 
could be heard, I began singing, which soon 
brought order, 

I took the advantage of the situation, and in- 
vited all that were not ready for the Judgment, 
to come to the altar. The altar was filled, and 
many found peace, and said that they would 
always praise God for the battle at Jericho. At 
the close of the service we ascertained the cause 
of the disturbance. 

The attic had quite a number of empty barrels 
stored away in it, and, by some unknown cause. 



Il8 BEULAH LAND. 



the whole pile had tumbled to the loose floor 
The next day there was a glowing account of the 
meeting in the different city papers, which 
caused quite a sensation, and multitudes flocked 
to the place, who were obliged to leave. Eter- 
nity alone will be able to declare all the good 
done to fallen humanity, during the meetings 
held in that cooper shop. 



CHAPTER XL 

HE HEALETH ALL OUR DISEASES. 

IN July, 1878, a lady had her wrist broken, by 
being thrown from her carriage. 

She was immediately carried to the city, and 
placed under the treatment of a skilful surgeon, 
who set the bone, and treated her wrist for four 
weeks. When the bandage and splinters were 
removed, it was discovered by the physicians that 
the joint was perfectly stiff. 

She came to my house at different times 
during the treatment of her wrist, and I fre- 
quently asked her if she did not believe that the 
Lord could heal it. 

She would answer, " I don't know about it." 

Then I would point her to the Saviour, and 
plead with her to give him her heart. She did 
not seem to be ready just then, but was putting 
it off until some future time. 



T20 BEULAH LAND. 



At last, one Sunday in August, she came to 
the church which I attended, and at the close of 
the service, told me she was going from the 
church to the doctor's office, for the purpose of 
inhaling chloroform. 

"For," said she, "my physician says that he 
must try to limber my wrist. He hopes that he 
will not be forced to break it over again." 

"Well," said I, "it is terrible to think that 
after all you have suffered it should be necessary 
for you to go through as much, and perhaps more, 
suffering than you have already endured. Do 
not let him break it again ! Had you not better 
go home with me, and remain until Wednesday, 
and then go to the Alton Camp-meeting, and then 
after that, if you must have your wrist broken, 
why have it done ? But, by all means, go to Alton 
first." 

She hesitated for a few moments, and then 
accepted my invitation. 

In the meantime I was asking my Heavenly 
Father to teach me what my duty was in regard 
to her soul's salvation, also the healing of her 
wrist ; and was waiting to hear his voice. But 



HE HEALETH ALL OUR DISEASES. 121 

all that I could see or feel for her was, to have 
her go to camp-meeting. 

Wednesday came, and my family, this lady and 
myself, started for Alton. On our arrival at the 
encampment, we made such arrangements as 
were most needful to commence housekeeping. 
I had to do her part, owing to the stiffness of her 
wrist and fingers ; for she could no more bend 
the joint in her wrist than she could the bone in 
her arm. This rendered her helpless, as far as 
work was concerned. 

The next morning, after breakfast, I read the 
fifteenth chapter of John for our lesson. While 
I was reading the seventh verse, in particular I 
said: 

"There is something wonderful going to be 
done in this tent this morning." 

I then asked a brother to lead in prayer. 
While he was praying, these thoughts came to 
me like a whisper : 

" Whatever you ask this morning shall be 
done ; ' the next thought was, " What shall I 
ask ? that Ella's throat may be perfectly healed 
of the soreness ? or that I may be made stronger 



122 BEULAH LAND. 



physically? or that a friend, who is wandering 
from God, may be restored ? " 

Then, said I, "O, Lord, teach me what thou 
wouldst have me ask for ! " 

By this time the brother had closed his prayer. 
Then I began praying, and instantly her wrist 
was presented to my mind ; and, accordingly, I 
asked the Lord to heal her wrist from all stiff- 
ness, and make it perfectly well. Oh ! what 
power came upon me. My soul was filled with 
one flood of Jight, above the brightness of the 
sun ; and I was perfectly confident that her wrist 
was healed. 

I arose from my knees, went across the tent, 
touched her wrist, and took hold of her hand, 
just as I was prompted, and the wrist was per- 
fectly healed ; just as sound as the other. The 
first words that I said were : 

"Do see what my dear Jesus has done ! ' 

All in the tent were weeping and praising God 
for the wonderful display of his power in our 
midst. Then said I to her : 

"Your wrist is healed on condition that you 
give your heart to God." 



HE HEALETH ALL OUR DISEASES. 1 23 

She arose, and went to all in the encampment, 
and testified to the healing power of God on her 
wrist. 

On the third morning, after family prayers, she 
asked us to pray that she might be converted to 
God. " For," said she, " I have not had one mo- 
ment's rest to my soul since my wrist was 
healed." 

We began praying for her, and had prayed 
only a few moments when I was startled by the 
screams of my youngest daughter. I ran out of 
the tent, only to see my darling lying on the 
ground, with the contents of a large teakettle of 
scalding hot water emptied upon her. Her 
screams drew a crowd. Meanwhile, I was trying 
to tear her clothes off, but could not ; so I had to 
unbutton her waists, and when I succeeded in 
removing her clothes, she was burned to a blister. 
I called for some oil, had it turned on my hand,* 
then, without thinking, took my child into the 
tent, knelt down, and asked the Lord to heal her 
of the burn. I just touched the burn with the 
tips of my fingers, and she instantly stopped 
screaming, and was perfectly healed. Before I 



124 BEULAH LAND. 



arose from my knees, every bit of the redness was 
gone. I simply changed her wet clothing for dry 
clothes, and she ran off to play just as though 
nothing had happened, and never was troubled 
again with even any smarting or tenderness. 

After this my friend found Jesus. 

Several years have passed, and her wrist re- 
mains perfectly sound. The glory be to Him 
"Who healeth all our diseases/ 3 and took upon 
Himself our infirmities, and bore all our sick- 
nesses. 

In the fall of 1879, a lady came after me to 
attend a prayer-meeting, four miles distant. I 
hesitated about going, as that would be the only 
evening I would have to rest, for some time ; 
but, finally, I consented, and had gone only a 
short distance when the enemy whispered : 

" You might better have stayed at home and 
rested, for you will not be of any service there 
to-night, and no good will result from your 
going." 

I said aloud : 

"I believe there will be something wonderful 
done this evening ; " to which my friend in- 



HE HEALETH ALL OUR DISEASES. 12$ 

stantly said, " Amen/ 1 During the meeting a 
young lady arose and testified for Jesus, in a low 
whisper. I wondered why the Lord would not 
be pleased to heal her, and, before the service 
closed, asked if any one could tell me why she 
spoke in that way. Her brother arose, and said 
that she had been treated by the best medical 
skill, and was pronounced incurable, and had not 
spoken a loud word for over a year, and never 
expected to again. I then said to her : 

" Do you believe that Jesus has power to re- 
store your voice ? ' She whispered, " Yes." 

Said I : 

" Would you use your strength and voice for 
Him, if he would heal you ? " 

She again whispered, " Yes." 

" Then," said I, addressing the audience, " let 
us kneel and ask the Lord what his will concern- 
ing this case, is. ,! I prayed, and then received 
the witness that God would restore her voice. 
I arose and told her to expect to be able to 
speak at any moment. I returned home, and 
was immediately called away for a week, and was 
unable to hear from her. During my absence, 



126 BEULAH LAND. 



the enemy assailed me terribly with these 
thoughts : 

" It would have been much better for you to 
have said nothing about her healing in public, for 
it is not at all likely she will be healed, and then 
it would not be well for you to ever appear in 
that place again, f 01 the people would never have 
confidence in your word." 

In a moment I discovered that it was from the 
Devil, and said : 

"Get thee hence, Satan, for- 1 know that her 
voice is restored. ,, 

When I returned home, about the first thing 
that I heard was, that, on the previous Sabbath 
evening, the young lady for whom I had prayed, 
was at a prayer-meeting in the city, and testified 
in clear, distinct tones, of the restoration of her 
voice. 

The result of her healing was the conversion 
of her infidel brother, who declared that if our 
God could do such mighty things as that, he 
would serve him. 

Two years later, I saw the following account 
of her healing in one of our city papers : 



HE HEALETH ALL OUR DISEASES. 1 27 



A VOICE RESTORED BY PRAYER. 

The Queer Story Related to a Palladium Reporter. 

" Do you see that young woman going along 
the street there ? ' said a gentleman to a Pal- 
ladiurn reporter, pointing to a rosy and good- 
looking girl. 

" Yes ; what of it ? " answered the scribe. 

" Oh ! nothing ; only that's a case of the efficacy 
of prayer." 

" What do you mean ? " said the reporter. 

" I mean that Sister Carter restored that 
woman's voice by prayer," said he. 

" How was that ? " 

"Well, I'll tell you. That lady is Miss Lydia 
Harsign. She is about eighteen years old and 
lives in the town of Oswego, somewhere near the 
Centre. Some years ago she lost her voice, and 
the doctors all said she never would recover it. 
Anyway, the fact is known in the community 
where she lives, that she couldn't talk above a 
whisper. She enjoyed fair health in other jre- 
spects, I believe, and was around as usual. A 
year ago last winter she began to attend the 
meetings which Sister Carter, the evangelist, was 



128 BEULAH LAND. 



then holding in Oswego Town, and became 
deeply interested in religious subjects, and at 
length became converted. She was very strong 
and positive in her religious views and tendencies, 
and Mrs. Carter suggested to try the efficacy of 
prayer as a means to restore her voice. She 
consented, and Mrs. Carter prayed earnestly that 
her voice might be restored, and, as it turns 
out, effectively, for in a short time Miss Har- 
sign completely recovered her voice, which is 
now as strong and useful as ever. Queer, isn't 
it ? " 

Shortly after the above-mentioned case, a lady 
called and told me that her sister was suffering 
from a fiber tumor that was considered incurable, 
and said : 

" I think if you would go to her house and 
pray for her, she would be healed/ 3 I accompa- 
nied her to her sister's home, and asked the 
sufferer if she was resigned to the will of God. 
She immediately replied, " O, yes ! " 

We then knelt and prayed that the Lord's will 
would be done in her case. When we arose from 
our knees, she said : " The physicians have given 



HE HEALETH ALL OUR DISEASES. 1 29 

me up as hopeless, so God alone will get the 

glory." 

I did not hear from her again for many 
months, but when I did, she was perfectly healed. 
All praise be to Jesus. 



CHAPTER XII. 

TRIAL AND TRIUMPH. 

THREE years have passed since the events 
of the last chapter, which have been 
strongly marked with heavy losses, great per- 
plexity, and holy triumph. It has been the will 
of my dear Heavenly Father to allow me to pass 
through the furnace, seven times heated, for the 
purpose of teaching me to look to him alone for 
all things. All of my former life had been one 
of great prosperity, and although I was almost 
constantly on the battle-field, I knew but little of 
real care. I had faith, and, to a certain extent, 
had practised it ; but now I was brought to the 
place where I must practise it fully. 

One day a gentleman called, and told me of 
a heavy debt that had been contracted by one 
dear to me, which would, necessarily, involve my 
home. 



TRIAL AND TRIUMPH. 131 



"Can it be possible," I thought, "that this is 
so?" 

" What can it mean ? " 

If the gentleman had not brought such posi- 
tive evidence, it would have «been impossible for 
me to have believed him ; but, after due consider- 
ation, I signed the contract that made myself and 
children homeless, and, after a short time, was 
obliged to pay bills incured by the same party, 
which took all of the money I had saved to 
educate my children, and we were penniless, 
also. 

When all of my means were swept from me, 
and I realized my utter dependence, I fell on my 
knees and thanked God that I still had his strong 
arm on which to lean, and his bosom on which I 
could pillow my weary head. I understood, more 
than ever before, the significance of these words ; 
" In six troubles I will be with thee, and in the 
seventh, I will never leave nor forsake thee." 

The trials through which I had been called to 
pass, told their story en my physical health, 
which made it impossible for me to hold meetings 
or do work of any kind, I sometimes thought 



132 BEULAH LAND. 



that I might have given music lessons again, but 
my instrument had to go, as had my home. 

Now what could I do but look to God alone for 
my support ? One evening I was prompted to 
have prayers an h6ur earlier than usual, so I 
gathered my three little children around me, and 
as I began reading, I realized so much of the 
power and presence of the Almighty, that I was 
awed almost into silence ; insomuch that I fin- 
ished reading the chapter in a whisper. I think 
my feelings were similar to those of Moses at the 
burning bush ; that the place whereon I stood 
was holy ground. 

When I was praying, my eyes began to be 
opened to the greatness of God's strength, and 
the infallibility of his word, and as the revelation 
continued, I seemed to sink deeper into his word, 
and farther and farther out of sight of all my 
cares and surroundings, until all that I could see 
was, that faith in the promises of God would 
cover every need of my life without an excep- 
tion. 

Why ! in it, I had the promise of a home, 
schooling for my children, clothing, physician, 



TRIAL AND TRIUMPH. 1 33 

and, in fact, more than I could enumerate, were 
I to try. As the Holy Spirit made the applica- 
tion, I shouted : " Hallelujah ! I'm a King's 
daughter ; for my Father shall supply all my 
needs according to His riches in glory." 

My confidence in God was unshaken, although 
at times it was closely tested. After I began 
living by naked faith in the promises of God, the 
enemy suggested : 

" Now it won't be necessary for you to lay 
aside a tenth of what you receive, since you trust 
in God for everything, and you see if you don't 
you have nearly enough money to pay your rent, 
that will soon be due. ,! 

I thought the matter over, and opened my 
Bible to Malachi iii : 8. — " Will a man rob 
God ? " which settled the question, and I laid 
aside the tenth as I had formerly done, and, when 
my rent came due, I had more than enough to 
pay it. I can say, from experience, that ninety 
cents on a dollar goes farther, after the tenth is 
laid aside, than the hundred would held in 
disobedience. 

One day it was growing very cold, and there 



134 BEULAH LAND. 



was every evidence of an approaching storm. I 
had asked the Lord to send me some fuel, as 
I had only enough to last that day ; but, when 
night came, I had received neither fuel, nor 
money with which to purchase any. After I had 
retired, this passage of Scripture came to me : 
" For I reckon that the sufferings of this present 
time are not worthy to be compared with the 
glory that shall be revealed in us." Then 
the enemy whispered : 

"That means that you will all have to freeze to 
death." 

I burst into tears as I thought of my innocent 
little children, and then I prayed : 

"Dear Heavenly Father, don't let my little 
darlings freeze, even if it is thy will for me to." 
In a few moments this passage of Scripture came 
like a soothing balm : 

"Weeping may endure for the night, but joy 
cometh in the morning;" and I fell asleep 
with those comforting words in my mind. I had 
been awake only a few moments in the morning, 
when I heard a noise at my kitchen door. I 
arose and looked out of the window, and, behold ! 



TRIAL AND TRIUMPH, 1 35 

there was a man unloading a load of stove-wood. 
I said : " Praise the Lord, O my soul!" How 
wonderfully this did strengthen my faith ! 

As the weather became more severe, it seemed 
almost impossible to keep warm by a wood fire, 
and I asked my Heavenly Father to send me 
some coal so that I could have a fire in my 
sitting-room. 

About four o'clock, one afternoon, I took my 
Bible and opened to the eleventh chapter of 
John ; and while I was reading the fortieth verse, 
" Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest 
believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" 
I received the evidence that my coal was coming, 
and I exclaimed : 

" My coal is coming ! my coal is coming ! " 

In a few moments I saw a coal wagon stop in 
front of my house, and a man came to the door 
and asked if that was where Mrs. M. Carter 
lived. I told him that it was. 

"Well," said he, "where will you have this 
coal ? " I told him, and, before dark, I had a 
ton of coal in my coal-bin, and a hot fire in my 
sitting-room. A few days later I learned who 



I $6 BEULAH LAND. 



sent the coal. A stranger to me, went into his 
sitting-room, and, as he was warming his hands 
by the warm fire, said to his wife : 

" How good this does feel ! I wonder if Mrs. 
Carter has any." 

She replied : " The way to know is to go to 
the coal office and order her some coal." 

He did as she advised him, and was used in 
the hands of God to answer my prayer. When I 
repeated my petition for coal that morning, the 
enemy whispered : 

" What is the use of your asking for -coal until 
this terrible storm is over. You know that no 
one would deliver coal such a day as this." I 
recognized his voice, and said : s - 

" The Lord can use this very storm to send me 
my coal/' and you see that he did. I will now 
give an extract of what I wrote in my journal a 
few days later : 

" My children's shoes and rubbers are in a very 
bad condition, and I am sure that my dear 
Heavenly Father will be pleased to let them have 
some new ones. I have asked him for them and 
expect them." Later on I wrote : 



TRIAL AND TRIUMPH. 1 3 



7 



" This evening a lady and gentleman called, 
and, before they left, some others called ; and 
when they were about to go, they left money 
enough in my hand to more than buy my chil- 
dren's shoes and rubbers. Praise the dear Lord ! 
I tell no one but God of my needs, so he always 
gets the glory.'' At another time I wrote in my 
journal : 

U I awoke this morning praising God for his 
goodness to me, although I knew that I had only 
enough provisions to last for to-day ; but I have 
made a draft on the store-house of my Father, and 
expect all that I need, because he supplies all my 
needs according to his riches." 

About eleven o'clock, nine of my friends from 
Oswego Centre, came to take dinner with me, 
and one of the ladies said : 

" We thought that we would bring our dinner 
all cooked, because we would get here too late 
for you to prepare for so many." 

The dinner consisted of chicken pie, ham, beef, 
bread, butter, pickles, pie, cake, honey, and a va- 
riety of fruit, besides two bushels of vegetables. 
We had a very enjoyable time, and there was 



I38 BEULAH LAND. 



enough food left to last for a number of days. 
Who is like my God ! " 

I will now copy what I wrote in my journal a 
few weeks later : 

" This morning I felt very much impressed to 
send some of the provisions that my Father has 
sent me, to my washer-woman, who has an insane 
husband, and is very poor." 

I had perfect rest about sending them, and 
after they were all ready for Belle and Ella 
to take on their hand-sleigh, as soon as they 
returned from school, something said to me, 
" Now you had better send a basket of coal, 
for some of those provisions will be of no 
good without a fire to cook them." I did not 
get any rest in thinking of sending the coal, 
so I told my daughters to take the provisions, 
and if she did not have any coal, I would send 
her some. As I watched them as they went over 
the hill, one drawing the little sleigh, while the 
other steadied the bundles, I thought, " How can 
I be thankful enough for such daughters ? ' When 
they came home, their little faces were radiant 
with delight as they told me all about their call. 



TRIAL AND TRIUMPH. I39 



They said that when they arrived there, she 
was washing, while the tears were streaming 
down her cheeks ; but when she lifted the bun- 
dles from the sleigh, her face lighted up, and 
when they told her that they were for her, it 
grew still lighter ; and, when she opened them, 
and found them to contain flour, butter, meat, 
potatoes, apples, and a pair of shoes for herself, 
she burst out crying, and said : 

" How can I be thankful enough ! O, you 
dear little children, do you know that your com- 
ing over here to-night, in all this storm, has saved 
my children from going to bed hungry ? I cooked 
the last thing that I had in the house for their 
dinner, and I was crying because they had asked 
me for something to eat, and I could give them 
nothing ; and the shoes are just in time, for you 
see I have only these old rubbers. Tell your 
dear mamma- that she is always so thoughtful ; 
and perhaps it would rest her mind to know that 
the city has sent me half a ton of coal." 

She then kissed them and said : " Bless your 
dear little hearts ! I shall never forget you, and I 
am sure the Lord won't, 



>!. >> 



I40 BE UL AH LAND. 



It was a very clear lesson to me, that when we 
are obeying the Lord, we have perfect rest ; but 
when we are walking as he would have us, and a 
suggestion comes that causes unrest, it is always 
from the adversary. 

I will now copy from my journal in Feb- 
ruary : 

" Belle and Ella came home from school this 
noon, feeling very badly. They did not tell me 
the cause, but I overheard their conversation in 
the dining-room. Belle said : 

" ' When we see them eating candy at school, we 
will turn and go right away ; then we won't want 
some so bad. Don't let mamma know anything 
about it, for she can't get us any.' 

" 'But/ suggested Ella, ' we can ask the Lord 
for some ; ' and down they both knelt, and asked 
the Lord to send them some candy, if it was his 
will, for they did want some so much. I went 
into the parlor to dry my eyes, so that they would 
not see that I had been shedding tears, and when 
they came to kiss me before they went to school, 
their faces were as bright and happy as they 
could be. During the afternoon a lady called, 



TRIAL AND TRIUMPH, 141 

and asked me if I would accept a box of candy 
for my children. I then told her what I have 
just related, and she said, with tears in her 
eyes : 

" ' About the time that your daughters were 
praying, I was prompted to buy the candy/ " 

" When Belle and Ella came home from school 
they had a paper of choice candy that a lady gave 
them where I sent them with a message to deliver 
after school. When I handed them the box, too, 
they gave very significant glances at each other, 
and then told mamma all about it. What a 
school for my children to be trained in ! Their 
faith in God is as unwavering as mine ; and if 
they notice that the coal or wood, or flour, or 
anything essential, is nearly gone, before I do, 
they ask boldly, and largely, of their Heavenly 
Father." 

On the seventeenth of May, I wrote the follow- 
ing in my journal : 

" It is a very cold, damp day, and I only had 
wood enough to last until afternoon. After I had 
put the last piece in the stove, I went into the 
parlor and laid down. I fell asleep, and when 



\\1 BEDLAH LAND. 



I awoke, it was much later than I expected, so I 
went out into the kitchen, and, to my surprise, 
there was a hot fire with two cheery faces before 
it. I said : 

" ' Why, darlings ! what does this mean ? I 
did not know that any one had called/ 

" Belle said ; 'Neither did we.' 

" \ Well, what does this mean ? ' I persisted. 

" • Well, if you will just sit down, we will tell 
you all about it/ said Ella. I sat down and she 
began : 

" - Belle and I got a letter from a lady in Brook- 
lyn, and there was enough money in it to buy our 
wood, and we took the money that we expected 
to get slippers with, and bought a poor woman 
some coal, so that she could be warm too/ 

" 'And have you done all of this since I laid 
down ? ' I asked. 

"They both replied : 

"'Yes'm/ 

" I drew them to me, and we knelt and thanked 
God for his watch-care over us, and I concluded 
with, * and I do thank thee, dear Jesus, for such 
comforting daughters/ " 



TRIAL AND TRIUMPH. I43 

The next afternoon I received a box from 
Brooklyn, containing clothing and books for Belle 
and Ella, and toys for Ray. I had been having 
the parlor and front hall cleaned, and had been 
unable to have the carpets put down. In the 
night, at one o'clock, I was awakened by the 
noise of footsteps on the stairs. I listened, 
and thought that the children must be wandering 
around in their sleep, so I got up, and went to 
the head of the stairs, but in an instant dis- 
covered that they were the steps of a man. I 
immediately went into my room and locked the 
door, and after I had lighted the lamp, whispered 
to my daughters : 

" Don't make any noise, children, but get right 
up and dress, for there are robbers in the house.' 
They did as I told them, and we all shook like 
leaves before the wind. 

Belle said : " Mamma, let us pray." 

We did so, and as I was praying, I heard these 
words as distinctly as though some one had 
spoken them to me : " Stand still, and see the sal- 
vation of God ; ' also, " Behold, he that keepeth 
Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.' 3 Imme- 



144 BEULAH LAND. 



diately all fear left us, notwithstanding we could 
hear the thieves tumble over the unsettled furni- 
ture in the parlor, try the windows, and fearlessly 
walk from room to room. Belle said : 

" Mamma, all of our books and nice things that 
we got yesterday will be gone. Won't that be too 
bad?" 

I told her that the Lord could take care of 
everything down-stairs as well as he could of us. 
At half past two the noise ceased, and we laid 
down and slept until five. When we awoke, we 
went down-stairs, and what a deserted looking 
place we found it. All of the doors but one were 
standing wide open, one window had been taken 
entirely out, and the furniture in the sitting and 
dining-rooms looked greatly confused. After we 
had looked around, we thought of our box, and I 
looked under the table where I had shoved it the 
night before, and it was just as we had left it. 
We have never discovered that anything was 
taken, not even my port-monnie that lay on the 
sitting-room table, which contained the month's 
rent. Very likely they came after the box, but, 
praise God, they didn't find it. The contents of 



TRIAL AND TRIUMPH. I45 

the box were just what was needed, for my chil- 
dren were in great need of spring and summer 
clothing. 

One day Ella brought a colored girl home from 
school with her and said : 

" Mamma, can't you give this poor little girl 
something to wear ? " I looked at the child and 
saw that her cloth shoes were far worse than 
none, and that her dress was not much better, 
and said : 

" Why, certainly ; if you are willing to divide 
your wardrobe with her. ,, 

"That is just what I meant," she said ; so I 
got out two suits of clothing for the orphan child, 
and they just fitted her ; also a pair of shoes, 
of Ella's, and some stockings. When she was 
dressed up, and I asked her to look in the mirror, 
she said : 

" I never looked so nice before in my life. I 
don't think mammy will know me." 

I noticed that her hat was very shabby, but I 
did not say anything about it, for I wanted to see 
if Ella would mention it. She did not mention it 
then, but in a few days brought home one that 



I46 BEULAH LAND. 



the poor child called her "best," and asked me if 
I would trim it for her. I told her that I would, 
and after she had gone to school, I colored and 
trimmed it, and made it look quite nice. Before 
Ella took it home, she said : 

" Mamma, don't you think she will look good 
enough now to go to Sunday-school ? " 

I replied : " Yes, dear," and on the next Sunday 
they walked hand in hand to church. 

The life of perfect trust in God grows more 
beautiful every day ; and I would not exchange 
places with a millionnaire. I wish it were 
possible to make others understand how beautiful 
it is not to have any anxiety about anything. 
Some may think it sounds reckless to say that 
there is no anxiety ; but if you had a friend you 
loved better than you did yourself, who had never 
caused you to doubt his word — and that friend 
should ask you to entrust something to his 
keeping, you would not be fretting, or feeling 
anxious, lest he should break his promise. 
Now, since the people of this earth are fallible, 
and we know that the God of the universe is in- 
fallible, why should we hesitate to trust him im- 



TRIAL AND TRIUMPH. 14/ 

plicitly ? When my food was all gone, so that I 
did not know where the next meal was coming 
from, I did not feel anxious, for I could only eat 
one meal at a time, if I had ever so much, and the 
Lord never failed to send the next. This mav 
seem strange to some of my readers, but it is true 
of those who meet the condition in John xiv : ~.— 
"If ye abide in me, and my word abide in you, 
ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done 
unto you;' also, First John v: 14, 15, "And 
this is the confidence that we have in him, that if 
we ask anything according to his will, he heareth 
us : And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever 
we ask, we know that we have the petitions that 
we desired of him." 

The question may arise, " How can the word 
abide in us, and we in the word ? ' We must re- 
member that the Son and the word are synony- 
mous ; therefore, to have the word abide in us, 
implies cleansing from all sin, so that " where sin 
did abound, grace doth much more abound." It 
is utterly impossible to have perfect faith in the 
promises of God, until God has the perfect con- 
trol of us. In the Old Version we read : " What 



I48 BEULAH LAND. 



things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe 
that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." 
But the New Version renders it : "All things what- 
soever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have 
received them, and ye shall have them." I do 
not wish to assert, that we are to be idle when we 
are able, and have the work to do ; but if our 
needs exceed our means, we may ask, and it shall 
be given. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

HOW LITTLE RAY WAS HEALED. 

ONE evening while I was at a prayer-meet- 
ing that a poor society held in a hall, a 
gentleman arose and said that they would like 
a liberal collection, for their pastor was greatly in 
need of help. I thought to myself, "If I had 
any money, I would give it to him." At the 
close of the service, as I was shaking hands with 
the people, fifty cents was left in my hand, I 
walked to the front and gave it to the treasurer. 
Before I was half-way home, the enemy said : 

" What an inconsistent thing you have done ! 
Didn't you know that you would need that money 
to buy bread for your children ? ' I asked the 
Lord to show me if I had done wrong, and this 
passage of Scripture came to me : " The liberal 
soul shall bemade fat ; and he that watereth 
shall be watered also himself." 



I50 BEULAH LAND. 



At our family devotion the next morning, 
I opened to these words : " Cast thy bread 
upon the waters ; for thou shalt find it after 
many days. In the morning sow thy seed, 
and in the evening withhold not thine hand ; for 
thou knowest not whither shall prosper, either 
this or that, or whether they both shall be alike 
good/ 3 My faith was greatly tested before the 
deliverance came, for on the following Saturday 
morning we had eaten all that we had ; but before 
the day was over, I received one barrel of flour, 
several bushels of apples, sweet turnips, cabbages, 
quinces, butter, sugar, rice, oatmeal, one gallon 
of oysters, two pounds crackers, one pie, dough- 
nuts, ten pounds of beef, one apron, three pairs 
of buckled arctics ( worth four dollars and eighty 
cents ), five dollars worth of groceries, and eight 
dollars and ninety cents in cash. Did I cast my 
bread upon the water in vain ? As my health 
slowly improved, I occasionally accepted the invi- 
tations to preach near home. 

In September, 1881, my dear little Ray became 
very ill with cholera infantum. Everything that 
could be done seemed to have no effect whatever 



HOW LITTLE RAY WAS HEALED. I 5 I 

upon the disease. He was rapidly sinking during 
Sunday, September twenty-fifth. Our voices 
were often hushed to a low whisper, as we had 
occasion to pass through the room where our 
darling lay. While my hands were busily en- 
gaged caring for him, my heart was almost con- 
stantly uplifted to God for guidance. At noon 
he was so very low that he could not turn his 
own head or lift his hands. I did not seem to 
have any liberty in prayer ; but a great peace 
filled my soul. All that I could say was, "Thy 
will, not mine, be done. ,, 

My heart began to tremble a little, at the 
thoughts of an appointment for me to preach that 
evening at Oswego Centre, four miles distant. 
I wondered if it would not be right to decline 
when the carriage should come for me. This 
caused me very serious thought, and I scarcely 
knew what my duty was in the matter. 

I did not expect to be sent for until six o'clock, 
and therefore looked for some symptom in the 
disease that would decide the case for me ; but 
the test to my faith came at three instead of six. 
My friends came after me, and at that early hour 



152 BEULAH LAND. 



were in such haste they could wait only long 
enough for me to get ready. It was a severe 
trial to my faith. I breathed a silent prayer, ask- 
ing my Heavenly Father not to let me make a 
mistake ; then these thoughts came with power 
to my soul : 

" If this child should die during my absence, I 
am sure that he would be safe with my blessed 
Saviour ; and if I should not go and preach the 
Gospel this evening, more than a score of souls 
might be lost forever/ ■ 

My human judgment would have said, I must 
not go ; but these words, which had been im- 
pressed upon my mind for several days — " Stand 
still and see the salvation of God " — helped me 
to decide to go. 

I left directions with my daughters, gave one 
long look at my darling boy, and tearfully turned 
away. I did not feel inclined to talk while going. 
Arriving at Mr. Goodnow's, where I was to re- 
main until time for evening service, I met some 
of the friends who always managed to be 
there when it was known I was to be, for the 
purpose of conversing with me on Scriptural 



HOW LITTLE RAY WAS HEALED. 1 53 

topics. After we had talked a little and had been 
to tea, there was such an impression came upon 
me to pray, that I said to those with whom I was 
conversing : 

" I don't know what I am to ask for, but I must 
pray." 

We all knelt, and I asked the dear Lord to 
teach me what he would be pleased to have me 
ask for ; and in an instant my precious little Ray 
was presented to my mind, and, with boldness, I 
carried his case before the Throne. Oh, what 
power came upon me ! What liberty I received 
in prayer ! How the Holy Spirit did help me to 
claim healing for my child at that moment ! 

I arose from prayer perfectly satisfied that my 
child was well. I went to the place of worship, 
conducted the evening service, which proved to 
be one of great power, and was not troubled, for 
one moment, about my dear little boy. 

At the close of the service I was driven rapidly 
to my home. On my arrival I went to my room, 
opened the door, entered, and looked toward the 
bed, where I saw my little Ray, not pale with 
disease, gasping for breath, but filled with new 



I 54 BEULAH LAND. 



life. As soon as he saw me, he said, " Mamma) 
mamma ! ' and came creeping, kicking, laughing, 
and with health stamped on every feature, and 
met me at the foot of the bed. 

I took the little darling in my arms, and asked 
his sisters when he began to amend. They said, 
at six o'clock (the very hour I was led to pray for 
him ) he revived, and had been growing better 
ever since. 

He was perfectly restored ; and thus the Lord 
verified his word : " The prayer of faith shall 
save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him 
up." 

As I visited the destitute, and saw that their 
needs were supplied, it did not relieve me of the 
burden for souls that I had. 

One Sunday morning, while in church, I felt 
that the Lord wanted me to go in search of the 
fallen women of our city. At first, it seemed as 
though I could not do it ; but when I was posi- 
tive that was what the Lord wanted me to do, I 
started forth, feeling that no harm would befall 
me in the dens of iniquity. I was treated with 
respect by all on whom I called, and when I 



HOW LITTLE RAY WAS HEALED. 155 

would tell them that Jesus loved them, and 
wanted to save them, they would invariably 
say : 

. " Do you think that Jesus loves us yet ? Are 
we not too vile ?" 

I think that if I had never dressed plainly 
before, I certainly should after doing that kind of 
work. Just think of our respectable ladies adorn- 
ing themselves like such common characters ! 
There should be a distinction between us and 
them. One of the worst women in the city, whom 
I always found dressed in silk, with a diamond 
necklace and ear-rings, long gold watch-chain, 
and no less than five rings on her fingers, said to 
me : 

"Mrs. Carter, I believe that you come to us 
because you love our souls ; but I believe that 
the other ladies who have called only come to 
exhibit their finery, and tell us how bad we are, 
and I would never listen to them." 

During my calls I came across a young girl 
that was very sick. Her mother said : 

" When Alice was a baby, she was very sick, 
and the doctors had given her up. One after- 



I56 BEULAH LAND. 



noon I thought that she was dying, and I knelt 
and prayed to God, ' You must spare my baby. 
I can't let her die ! I'll suffer anything from her ! 
if you will only let her live.' God did let her 
live, and she is breaking my heart. " 

Had that fair babe died seventeen years 
before, she would have been safe with Jesus ; 
but God answered the rash prayers of her moth- 
er, who lived to see that daughter one of the 
most common prostitutes that walked the streets 
of that city. 

As I continued working among the fallen, my 
heart throbbed with pain to see so many young 
girls living such lives of degradation. Can we 
mothers be too careful in training and advising 
our daughters ? Is the time wasted that we take 
to instil the truth into their minds ? 

After I had been doing this kind of mission 
work for some time, I saw the need of a shelter 
for those that wished to reform, and said the 
same to Rev. F. H. Beck, my pastor, and asked 
him to present it at the ministers , meeting. He 
did so, and a shelter was provided, a matron 
secured, and many of the fallen rescued ; and 



HOW LITTLE RAY WAS HEALED. 1 57 

to-day it is in a prosperous condition, with a city 
missionary. 

I accepted a call from Rev. Mr. Travis to hold a 
series of meetings in the Master Street Church, 
Philadelphia, Pa., and on the twenty-first of 
February, 1882, preached my first sermon in 
that city. The Lord greatly blessed my labors 
while there, and many were born into the king- 
dom of God. 

Before I left the city I visited the United 
States Mint. It is very interesting to see how 
the coin is made. It is first melted and run into 
moulds, and formed into nuggets ; then rolled, 
and cut into pieces of the size the coin is going 
to be ; and last, but not least, is put through the 
process that polishes and puts the impress upon 
it. While I was watching the process, I could 
not help thinking that thus our Heavenly Father 
purifies and moulds us before the impress of the 
Holy Spirit can be stamped on every feature of 
our lives. The process is not always pleasing, 
humanly speaking, but it is the only process that 
makes us current for Heaven. 

I next visited the Zoological Gardens, Horti- 



158 BEULAH LAND. 



cultural and Independence Halls, the Institution 
for the Blind, East Park, and other places. 

As soon as the revival closed in Philadelphia, 
I went to Elkton, Md., and held a series of meet- 
ings for Rev. Mr. Rose. The Lord blessed my 
labors in the South, and I felt thankful that he 
had restored me to the work of soul-saving. 
When I returned to the North I was very weary, 
for I had been on the battle-field almost con- 
stantly for five months. 

The following January I held a revival near 
my old homestead. One evening my tall, noble 
brother was in the audience, and I noticed that 
he listened very intently to all that I said; and 
when I gave the invitation for sinners to find the 
Saviour, he walked resolutely to the altar, and 
claimed Christ as his Saviour. In his testimony, 
he said : 

" Ladies and gentlemen, many of you remem- 
ber when my sister was converted ; and perhaps 
some of you are present whom I told how I tested 
her in her early experience. Well, I wish to say 
before you all, that I have not had many enjoya- 
ble hours during all of these past twenty-seven 



HOW LITTLE RAY WAS HEALED. 159 



years, for I knew that my sister was praying for 
me. The symmetrical Christian life always casts 
a reflection on the ungodly one " ; and, turning to 
me, he added : 

" Sister Millie, little did I think that when you 
were converted in that little prayer-meeting, led 
by our dear mother, that I should ever sit at your 
feet and be taught the way of eternal life." 

I was weeping long before he had finished his 
testimony, for my cup was running over. I 
thought of our dear mother who had gone to 
Heaven, and how many, many times she had 
prayed for her boy ; and how often she had plead 
with him to give his heart to the Saviour ; and I 
wondered if she could look down on that scene 
and see her only boy, praising God ! Even on 
her death-bed she did not feel that the prayers 
she had offered for him for thirty-seven years, 
were in vain, for she still said : " The promise is 
unto you and to your children/ 1 He united with 
the church, and is a bright and shining light 
before the world. 

October, 1883, I wrote the following in my 
journal : " I have asked my Heavenly Father to 



l6o BEULAH LAND. 



let me have a new cook-stove, in which I can 
burn coal, and I believe that he is going to let me 
have it ; for he knows how tired I get trying to 
keep a fire of wood. I spend nearly all of my 
time in visiting the sick and poor, and the little 
time that I have at home, I feel that I ought to 
rest." 

I will now copy what I wrote in my journal 
nine days later : 

" About noon, to-day, a man walked into the 
kitchen and said : 

" ' Where will you have it put ? 9 

" ' Have what put ? ' said I. 

" * Why, your stove, of course/ he replied. Just 
then two men walked in carrying a new number 
nine Sterling cook-stove, and said : 

" ' Will we put it where the old one is ? '■* 

" I had recovered from the surprise sufficiently 
to say, ' Yes.' 

" They took the old stove off to the foundry, 
and set the new one up in its place. After they 
were gone, we had a good time praising God, 
We did not have any coal to burn in it, but felt 
sure that the God who had sent the stove, would 



HOW LITTLE RAY WAS HEALED. l6l 

the coal. In a few moments a man came to the 
door and said : 

'' ' Where will I put this kindling wood ? ' 

' ' You must be at the wrong place/ I said. 

' \ Isn't your name Mrs. Carter ? ■ he asked. 

:< I told him that it was. 

' ' Well/ said he, ' I am at the right place/ 

:( I told him where to put it, and before that was 
done, a ton of coal was delivered also. By this 
time I thought that I would like to know who the 
Lord had used to accomplish so much ; and in a 
little while a lady called, and handed me a paper 
containing a list of names of some of the most 
prominent citizens, and others, with the amount 
each had subscribed toward the present. I 
said : 

" ' Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is 
within me, bless his holy name/ " 

In the following November I accepted a call 
from the Rev. Mr. Merrifield to North Western, 
N. Y. I held the first revival for him at North 
Stuben, another point in his charge, and many 
were born into the kingdom. Before the meet 
ings closed a gentleman came to me, and said : 



1 62 BEULAH LAND. 

" Mrs. Carter, I am very sorry you are going 
to hold meetings at North Western, for it is such 
a hard place that nothing can be done, and it will 
be such a disgrace to you." 

I thanked him for his sympathy, and said : 

" If God is too feeble to manage North West- 
ern, I am willing to bear the disgrace." 

When the meetings closed at North Stuben, 
Brother Merrifield deemed it advisable to have a 
week's rest before commencing at North West- 
ern ; so, while the others were resting, I ac- 
cepted a very urgent call, from the pastor, to the 
Forrestport Methodist Episcopal Church. 

I preached for him at Alder Creek and For- 
restport for one week, with success, and then 
commenced at North Western. My audiences 
were large and attentive, and I had some liberty 
in speaking, but during the first four weeks of 
the meetings there were only eighteen converted. 
I became desperate concerning the work, and one 
Saturday evening, at the opening of the service, 
I knelt, and silently told the Lord that I was 
not satisfied with large congregations alone ; 
that I must have souls ; and that, if I was in his 



HOW LITTLE RAY WAS HEALED. 1 63 

order in being there, that there would be an un- 
mistakable demonstration of his power in our 
midst. When I arose from my knees, I felt con- 
fident that the will of the Lord would be done. 

God gave me great liberty in fearlessly declar- 
ing his truth, but, at the close of the sermon, 
no one responded to the invitation to find the 
Saviour. I then asked the Christians to come 
forward and pray. The altar was filled, and we 
had not been praying over five minutes when 
such a realization of God's power came upon us, 
that I looked up to see what happened, and 
I saw two men leading a stalwart man who was 
groaning and agonizing on account of his sins, to 
the altar, where he fell on his face, and begged 
God to forgive him. In about five minutes he 
tremblingly arose, and testified to the wonderful 
power of God to save. He was one of the most 
influential men in the place, and many said that, 
if such a good, moral man as he could be under 
such conviction for sin, there must be something 
in religion. The meetings continued to increase 
in interest, and many were converted at each 
service* 



164 BEULAH LAND. 



At different times during my work at North 
Western I talked with a rumseller, and urged him 
to give his heart to the Saviour, but he paid little, 
if any, attention to what I had said. One day he 
.said to a gentleman : 

" I should think Mrs. Carter had howled around 
here long enough. I think she had better go 
home." 

Of course he did not like to have me in the 
place, for I was injuring his business. 

After I had closed the revival meetings, and 
the people saw that North Western was not too 
hard for God to manage, and I had said " good- 
by ' to the scores of converts, I went to Lee 
Centre, to assist Rev. Mr. Simpson in his church. 
I had been there about one week when I saw an 
account in the Rome Sentinel, of the death of the 
rumseller with whom I had conversed while at 
North Western. The paper stated that he died 
from a stroke of paralysis. Little did that man 
think that he was trifling with the Holy Spirit 
for the last time. Do you think that I was sorry 
I had dealt faithfully with his soul ? 

The work at Lee Centre was one of great 



HOW LITTLE RAY WAS HEALED. 1 65 

power, and the Lord gave me many precious 
trophies. The grand old hills and valleys in that 
section of Oneida County were made to resound 
with shouts and songs of praise, and many family 
altars were erected, and homes made happy, by 
the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE HUNDRED-FOLD. 

WHEN I returned home, after the five 
months' campaign, I did not take 
time to rest, and, consequently, on the first day 
of July, had a stroke of apoplexy. As soon as I 
became conscious, and realized my dangerous 
condition, I asked the Lord to speak to me, 
and immediately these words came to my 
mind : " Stand still, and see the salvation of 
God.". 

I did not know whether my Father was going 
to take me home, or let me remain with my chil- 
dren ; but I could say : " Thy will, O Lord, not 
mine, be done." I gradually kept growing worse, 
until I could not bear the faintest noise. I again 
asked the Lord to speak to me, and these words 
were given: "This sickness is not unto death, 
but to the glory of God." I believed the Lord 



THE HUNDRED-FOLD. \6j 

without a doubt, although I was getting no 
better. 

All that could be done was done, but to no 
purpose until the Lord spoke to me in these 
words: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? 
Why art thou disquieted within me ? Hope thou 
in God, for I shall yet praise him who is the 
health of my countenance." On the strength of 
these words, I went into the country, and re- 
mained two weeks, during which time I rapidly im- 
proved, and on the sixteenth of September started 
for Cambridge, Mass., to pay a visit to a friend. 

My friends thought that the change of climate 
would benefit me very much, but I felt so poorly 
that, had I not heard the Lord speak to me, 
"Fear not, for lo, I am with you,' 3 I would not 
have attempted the journey. I arrived in Cam- 
bridge on Friday morning, the 17th, and found 
myself much less fatigued than I expected. 

On Saturday I received a very pleasant call 
from Rev. Mr. Higgins, pastor of the Cottage 
Street Methodist Episcopal Church. He wished 
to engage me to hold a revival in his church, 
which I promised to do, if the Lord restored me 



l6f BEULAH LAND. 



sufficiently. The following Monday, I attended 
a meeting held for the promotion of holiness, in 
Wesleyan Hall, Bromfield Street, Boston. It re- 
freshed my soul very much, for the unity of 
spirit, and many testimonies of Christ's power to 
save from all sin, made it seem more like heaven 
than earth ; and as often as it has been possible, 
I have attended them ever since. 

On the evening of the 20th, I commenced the 
revival in the Cottage Street M. E. Church, 
which lasted for ten weeks, during which time 
many precious souls were brought to the Lord. 

Brother Higgins deemed it advisable to hold 
no services on Thanksgiving Day, which per- 
plexed me very much ; but when I prayed about 
it, all the word that I could get was : " Ye shall 
hold your peace ;" also, "All things work to- 
gether for good to them that love the Lord." 

I was very willing to hold my peace, and, as 
you will see in the following pages, it worked for 
my good. 

I accepted an invitation to preach at the Rug- 
gles Street M. E. Church, Boston, on Thanks- 
giving Day, and seven were brought to the 



THE HUNDRED-FOLD. 1 69 



knowledge of the saving power of our blessed 
Saviour. 

At the close of this service, a gentleman in- 
vited me to attend a holiness meeting in the city 
of Newton, Mass., at the residence of James H. 
Earle, on the following Thursday evening. I did 
not answer him definitely, then, but promised to 
pray over it. 

When I left Oswego I only intended to remain 
in Massachusetts four weeks; but since I had 
decided to close the meetings at Cottage Street 
on the following Sunday evening, and, after ear- 
nest entreaties, had promised to remain in Cam- 
bridge two weeks to rest, I decided to attend the 
meeting in Newton. 

On Thursday morning I was so sick that I 
could not sit up, and kept growing worse until 
nearly noon, when this passage of Scripture came 
very emphatically to my mind: " Resist the devil, 
and he will flee from you.' Just then my friend 
came to my room, and I said : * 

" Jennie, I believe Satan is trying to hinder 
me from going to Newton, and I am going to get 
up.'' 



170 BKULAH LAND. 



I had no sooner stepped on the floor than I 
was instantly healed. Praise the Lord ! 

After I had arrived at Deacon Earle's resi- 
dence, and had taken my seat in the front parlor, 
Mrs. Earle came to me, and said : 

" Mrs. Carter, the leader usually sits in the 
back parlor." 

"Am I to lead the meeting ? " I asked. 

"We expected you would/' she replied. 

I changed my seat, and Mr. Earle came to me, 
and said : 

" Will you lead the meeting this evening, Mrs. 
Carter ? " 

I told him that I would. 

The Holy Spirit was present in great power, 
and six were forward for heart purity. 

I returned to Cambridge that evening, suppos- 
ing that I was going to rest for a few days, but 
on the following Saturday received a call from 
the pastor of the Ruggles Street Church, Boston, 
who desired me to assist him in his church. I 
dared not answer him in the negative then, but 
promised to pray over it, and let him know the 
next day. I did so, and decided to assist him 





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THE HUNDRED-FOLD. I /I 

one week, and then start for home. At the first 
service souls were saved, and continued to be as 
long as the meetings lasted. 

The second day that I was in Boston I at- 
tended the Tuesday afternoon service at Dr. 
Cullis* church. At the close of the service, a 
ladv from Newton came to me, and said that she 
had been requested to come to that meeting for 
the express purpose of inviting me to lead the 
meeting at Deacon Earle's, on Christmas even- 
ing 

"For," said she, "we feel that the time has 
come for some one to begin a revival there, and 
that you are the one." 

I told her that if the Lord wanted me in New- 
ton, I would go, and that I would write her my 
decision. 

When I left her, I thought to myself : 

"Is it possible that I cannot go home after I 
am through at Ruggles Street ? What does this 
mean ? Dear Heavenly Father, wilt thou speak 
to me by thy Word concerning my stay in this 
State ? " 

Immediately these words came to my mind : 



172 BEULAH LAND. 



" The steps of a good man are ordered by the 
Lord/' I silently said . 

" Yes, blessed Jesus, thou hast, and shalt have, 
the ordering of my steps, whether it is to remain 
in Massachusetts (as great as the cross will be), 
or to go home, and spend Christmas with my 
children." 

God alone knew the full meaning of that con- 
secration. I felt confident that the Lord wanted 
me to preach at Deacon Earle's, and I wrote a 
letter to the lady that invited me, to that 
effect. 

On Christmas Day we held an all-day service 
at Ruggles Street, and Rev. Joshua Gill, of the 
Christian Witness, preached in the afternoon. 
During his discourse he touched the hundred- 
fold that the Lord had promised to those that 
obeyed him. Said he, " We shall have a hundred 
fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters," etc. 

I had never before understood the meaning of 
that Scripture, and I shouted for joy. All of the 
sadness that I had felt on account of not being 
with my family that day left, and had I not a 
right to shout ? 



THE HUNDRED-FOLD. 1 73 

In the evening I preached in Newton, with 
considerable liberty, and several came forward 
for prayers. Deacon Earle asked me if I would 
preach there again on Saturday evening, and 
Sunday afternoon at four o'clock. I told him 
that I would. The meetings were very powerful, 
and when I was invited to remain during the 
following week, and preach nightly, I could 
only say, " Yes ; " for the Lord had won- 
derfully sealed each service by saving precious 
souls. 

On Monday morning, December 29th, great 
power came upon me while I was reading Jer. 
vi., 26-28 : " O daughter of my people, gird thee 
with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes : 
make thee mourning as for an only son, most bit- 
ter lamentation : for the spoiler shall suddenly 
come upon us. I have set thee for a tower and 
a fortress among my people, that thou mayest 
know and try their way. They are all grievous 
revolters, walking with slanders : they are brass 
and iron ; they are all corrupters." 

I did not know just what this Scripture meant 
to me, but I felt that it was a voice of warning, 



f 74 BKUJLAH LAND. 



and I asked the Lord to prepare me for anything 
with which I might be called to contend. 

It may be well, before I proceed with the 
description of the work, to say that the Lord 
must have guided the architect in drawing the 
plans for Brother Earle's house, for it is so 
arranged that the large hall, the parlors, and the 
dining-room can, by sliding doors, be thrown into 
one auditorium, thus enabling the audience to 
see the speaker, who stands in the back parlor. 
Brother and Sister Earle dedicated their beautiful 
home to the Lord as soon as it was built, and it 
still remains upon the altar. 

The meetings continued every evening, with 
increasing interest, and the ingathering of souls 
caused many to marvel. Some said that it was 
impossible to enter a store in Newton, or pass a 
group of people in the street, without hearing 
something about the meetings at Deacon Earle\s, 
and Mrs. Carter, the lady preacher. 

After I had been in Newton three weeks, my 
health began to fail, and I had every symptom of 
a second stroke of apoplexy. Notwithstanding 
my extreme prostration, I preached every even- 



THE HUNDRED-FOLD. 1 75 

ing. January 21st I became so weak that I said it 
would be utterly impossible for me to attempt to 
preach that evening, unless the Lord performed 
a miracle of healing in my behalf. I was so weak 
at tea-time that dear Sister Earle had my food 
brought to the library for me. 

As the time for service drew near, and I w r as 
wondering what I should do, this Scripture came 
to me: " Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill 
it." 

"Well," thought I, "that sounds as though I 
will have to preach to-night." 

Just then Brother Earle came to the library, 
and said that there. were two ministers present, 
and that perhaps the Lord would be pleased to 
excuse me for that evening. I told him to ask 
one of them to open the service, and I would ask 
the Lord to make my duty very plain. 

After he left the library, I asked the Lord to 
give me my text, if it was his will for me to 
preach that evening. It was instantly given; 
but the next thought was, that if I attempted to 
go down stairs, I would have another stroke of 
apoplexy. 



176 BEULAH LAND. 



Immediately these words came to my mind : 
" Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," 
and with them the thought that I was to resist 
the idea of going down to preach. I was not at 
all satisfied, and asked the Lord to speak to me 
again, and these words were given : " Fear not, 
for lo, I am with you ; " and with them the 
thought that God was with me where I was, and 
that I need not go down stairs ; but it did not 
bring rest to my soul, and I asked for another 
passage of Scripture. 

I had become so confused, owing to my phys- 
ical weakness, that I could scarcely understand 
anything, and I cried : 

" Dear Heavenly Father, don't let me be de- 
ceived ! " 

In a moment these words came very emphati- 
cally to my mind : " They that wait upon the 
Lord shall renew their strength." 

I was still dissatisfied, and after I had asked 
for just one more, these words came as a strong 
rebuke : " O ye of little faith ! " 

I then saw that the enemy had been misinter- 
preting the Word to me, and while great shame 



THE HUNDRED-FOLD. IJJ 

filled my heart for having listened one moment 
to his subtle suggestion, I arose and said : 

" Lord, I will go and preach to this hungry 
people." 

Just then Brother Earle came to the library, 
and said that he thought I would have to go 
down, for the people had been praying for me. 
When I started to go down the stairs, I was so 
weak and dizzy that I could scarcely stand 
alone, but before I had spoken five minutes, 
the power of God went through me like a 
shock of electricity, and I was well. Praise the 
Lord ! 

Many were converted that night, and when the 
meeting closed I was quite rested. Had I taken 
the first promise that God gave me, and gone 
down stairs without thinking of my physical 
weakness, I would have been healed without 
being so powerfully tested. 

On the following Sabbath the enemy was 
around, as usual, with his advice, and suggested 
to me " that since the Lord had healed me, he 
did not want me to be presumptuous, and preach 
twice that day ; preaching that morning would 



I78 BEULAH LAND. 



be all that would be required of me, and then I 
could remain in my room, and rest." 

I asked the Lord to speak to me by his Word, 
and I heard these words, as distinctly as though 
a person had spoken them to me, with particular 
emphasis on the verb-transitive : " They that 
wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength/' 
and I exclaimed : 

" Why, that means that I shall be stronger at 
the close of the service than when I began. Ah, 
Mr. Satan, you are conquered this time, for my 
blessed Saviour has my body in his hands, and 
will impart all the strength that I need." 

The afternoon service began at half-past 
three, and was one of the most powerful that I 
ever attended. We found no place to close it 
until nine o'clock. During that time there were 
nine converted, and a number sanctified. Among 
the number that were converted was a young 
man, who said in his testimony that he had 
been one of the most profane men that ever 
lived. 

" And," said he, " I am afraid I cannot lead a 
Christian life, for I have such a temper." 



THE HUNDRED-FOLD. 179 



Said I : 

"Dear brother, Jesus died to purchase a 
perfect cleansing from temper, and all in- 
bred sin. Will you ask him to cleanse you 
now ? 

He knelt, and prayed : 

" Dear Heavenly Father, cleanse me from all 
sin, and sanctify me wholly, so that I will not get 
mad under any provocation, and thou shalt have 
all the glory forever. Amen." 

In a few moments he jumped to his feet, and 
shouted : 

" Glory ! glory ! glory ! God has not only 
pardoned, but has wholly sanctified me ! " 

He staggered under the mighty power of God, 
and his face shone with the glory that he felt 
within. 

When his shop-mates learned that he was a 
Christian, they tantalized him in the most cruel 
manner. At one time they tied a rope to his 
limbs, and suspended him in the air, head down- 
ward, and then let him down with a crash, to see 
if he would get mad. At other times they tried 
to force him to drink liquor and to smoke ; but 



180 BEULAH LAND. 



amid all of their assaults he was as calm and 
composed as the tranquil waters, thus proving 
that " he is kept in perfect peace whose mind is 
stayed on God." 

Do you think that I felt rewarded for not 
remaining in the library during that afternoon 
service ? 

The Lord manifested his divine approval of 
the meetings by saving many precious souls at 
each service. 

On the following Sunday afternoon I took for 
my text, " Remember Lot's wife;" and when I 
invited the sinners to find Jesus, fourteen re- 
sponded to the invitation, and, before the close, 
professed to find peace in Christ. 

While I was praying at the altar, I felt that 
there were others present that would be con- 
verted before they left the house. At the close 
of the service, the young man whose conversion 
I have just related, introduced me to his parents, 
who were both unconverted, and while I was 
praying with his mother, he was praying with his 
father, and very soon they were both praising 
God with their only boy. 



THE HUNDRED-FOLD. l8l 

I then turned to a lady whom I had often im- 
plored to find Jesus, and asked her if she had not 
decided to yield. She replied : 

"Not now; but I will next week." 

Just then her three children, who had been 
converted a few evenings previous, came to her, 
and said : 

" Yield now, mamma, yield now ! " 

She could not resist their tender pleading, or 
say a word that would cast a shadow over their 
bright faces, but yielded herself to God. It was 
very touching to see the three children kneeling 
beside their mother, asking God to forgive her of 
her sins. 

When I arose I noticed that some brethren 
had six more on their knees in the dining-room, 
all of whom, I trust, were converted. 

In a few moments a little boy came to me, and 
said : 

"Mrs. Carter, I want to be a Christian, too." 

I prayed with him, and he prayed for himself, 
and accepted Christ for His Saviour. 

After I had sat down for a few minutes to rest, 
two young men came to me, and asked me to 



1 82 JBEULAH LAND. 



pray for them, which I did, and one of them was 
converted. 

At the close of that service there were twenty- 
five who professed to find peace in Christ. 






CHAPTER XV. 

VICTORY. 

ON the seventh of March I received a lettei 
from home, stating that my youngest 
daughter, Ella, was quite feeble, and that she was 
growing worse daily. What a perplexed condi- 
tion I was in ! I did not know what to do, so I 
waited patiently to hear my Heavenly Father 
speak to me. In a few moments these comfort- 
ing words came to my mind : " Let not your 
heart be troubled." Also, " He shall deliver thee 
in six troubles : yea, in seven there shall no evil 
befall thee." After tea, while I was sitting in 
the parlor, the words came very emphatically 
to my mind : " Stand still, and see the salvation 
of God." 

Brother and Sister Earle and myself went to 
my room, and asked the Lord to restore my 
daughter to perfect health, if it was his will for 



1 84 BEULAH LAND. 



me to remain in this revival. Before we arose 
from our knees, I felt confident that the Lord 
was restoring my child, therefore had perfect rest 
concerning her. In two days I received a letter 
in reply to a telegram that I had sent, stating 
that Ella was rapidly improving, arid had been 
for two days. Praise the Lord ! What physi- 
cian can excel our Heavenly One ? 

Some of my friends had been urging me to 
move to Newton, but I could not feel settled that 
that was the mind of the Lord concerning me, 
until a few days after my daughter began to im- 
prove, when I asked the Lord to speak to me 
concerning my farther duty in this place, and 
these words came very forcibly to mind : " Speak, 
and hold not thy peace, for no man shall set on 
thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this 
city." 

I also asked for other proofs of God's will con- 
cerning my stay in Newton, that were answered 
so unmistakably that I have never for a moment 
doubted God's leading me to this city. 

I wrote to my daughters to sell nearly all of 
my furniture, and ship the remainder to Boston 



VICTORY. 1 8 



"> ^ 



as soon as possible. Every order was promptly 
executed, and in a few days I received a letter 
from my darlings, stating that they were all 
ready to start on the following Monday, for Bos- 
ton. 

How fast my heart throbbed as I thought of 
the near date that I should see my dear chil- 
dren ! Do you wonder at it, when I had not 
seen them for nearly seven months ? 

The following Thursday I received a telegram 
that they needed ten dollars more before they 
started. I did not have the money, so I flew to 
my refuge, and asked the Lord to send it to me 
before five o'clock that afternoon, if it was his 
will for my children to come, and if it was not, 
and I had been mistaken in thinking that it was, 
to hinder even then. 

The Lord spoke very sweetly to me in these 
words : " Whatsoever ye desire, when ye pray, 
believe ye receive it, and ye shall have it." 

I felt confident that the Lord had heard, and 
would answer my prayer. Brother Earle had al- 
ready offered me the money, but his expenses for 
myself and the work were so constant, I wanted 



1 86 BEULAH LAND. 



this to come from some other channel. I looked 
at my watch, and it was then three o'clock. At 
just five o'clock I was summoned to the parlor, 
and was very cordially greeted by two ladies 
from Cambridge. They remained nearly half an 
hour, and when they were about to go, one of 
them handed me an envelope, and said : 

" Don't consider my note of so little importance 
that you will lay it aside, and never open it, but 
preserve it well." 

After they were gone I opened the envelope, 
and found that it contained twelve dollars. I 
knelt, and thanked my kind Father for his watch- 
care over his weak child, and then sent my chil- 
dren the money. 

Monday morning I received a telegram that 
they had started, and would arrive in Boston at 
9:30 p. m. I could scarcely wait until night, for 
the hours never seemed to pass so slowly ; but I 
managed to busy myself with reading and sing- 
ing and looking at my watch, and about all of the 
remainder of the time in wondering how near the 
train was to Boston. 

When at last I saw them coming from the 



VICTORY. 187 



depot, I will leave it for you to imagine how 
many moments passed before they were folded in 
my arms. 

Dear Sister Earle asked the many people who 
wished to see my children that evening, to wait 
until the next day ; for they would undoubtedly 
be too much fatigued from the journey to care to 
see any more people than was necessary. 

Ella was much less weary than we expected 
she would be, and continued to improve until she 
was perfectly well. 

On the following Sunday morning, the meeting 
was one of marked power. During this service 
there were sixteen wholly sanctified to God, and 
two of the number were my own daughters ! 

On the twenty-sixth of March I received the 
following letter from Oswego : 

Mrs. Melissa Carter, 

Boston, Mass., 

Dear Sister: Enclosed please find a paper 
containing the sentiments of our Official Board in 
regard to you. I take pleasure in saying that 
they were unanimous in the board, and also that 



1 88 BEULAH LAND. 



they were warmly endorsed by our pastor, Broth- 
er Darling. I hope they will convey to you our 
Christian sympathy, and cheer you in your labors 
for the blessed Redeemer. 
Trust in God, and go forward. 

Your brother in Christ, 

Chester Penfield. 

The paper enclosed read as follows : 

Oswego, March 23, 1885. 
At a meeting of the official board of the First 
Methodist Episcopal Church of Oswego, N. Y., 
held at the church, March 23, 1885, the pastor, 
Rev. J. C. Darling, in the chair, the following 
resolutions, presented by Chester Penfield, and 
seconded by Manister Warts, were adopted : 

Whereas, Our sister, Mrs. Melissa Carter, has 
been called, in the providence of God, to labor in 
another portion of his vineyard, and as she has 
been a faithful laborer while a member of our 
church, and is evidently called of the Master to 
be a standard-bearer in his cause, therefore, We, 
the Official Board of the First Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, do most cordially recommend her to 
the Christian confidence of all who love the Lord, 



VICTORY. 189 



and who desire the world to be brought to a sav- 
ing knowledge of his grace. 

Attest, (Rev-) I, C Darling, Chairman. 

J. I. Weed, Secretary. 

It is aKvay* with pleasant memories that I 
think of that dear ch" r ch, and when I received 
the above, I breathed a silent prayer that God 
would always hover over that ^^ople, and pour 
out his richest blessings upon them. 

The meetings moved steadily ant i mightily on, 
and many were converted at each service. At 
the close of the services, so many asked us to 
pray for their physical healing, that we appointed 
an after-service in another room, where we 
anointed and prayed with those who desired to 
have us. Sometimes there were a dozen that 
desired to be anointed at the healing service, and 
many were the testimonies of God's power to 
heal the body as well as the soul. 

One lady who was anointed ?.nd prayed with, 
was restored from a disease of seven years' 
standing, that had been pronounced incurable by 
some of the most eminent physicians of New 



I90 BEULAH LAND. 

York and Philadelphia. She said that she had 
only been to church three times during the seven 
years, and that the last two timc& she had fainted 
before the service closed. But when she heard 
of the faith-healing meeting at Deacon Earle's, 
she felt that she must come. 5l£ cid so, and 
while we were praying 1W*- Ler, the Lord instantly 
healed her. She then spent some weeks in the 
city, and atte.^ed the meetings almost every 
evening in s iccession during her stay. When 
her husband saw what the Lord had done, he 
gave himself to God, and to-day they are efficient 
members of o/ae of the largest churches in Bos- 
ton ; living epistles of Christ's power to heal the 
body as well as the soul. 

A boy of sixteen attended the meetings quite 
regularly, who was so badly afflicted with Saint 
Vitus's dance that it was utterly impossible for 
him to sit still one moment. At times his mouth 
would be drawn around to one side, and then his 
feet and arms would be thrown first one way and 
then another, and, in fact, his whole body was in 
a constant motion. One evening he expressed a 
desire to be a Christian, and while we were pray- 



VICTORY. 191 



ing with him, I was led to ask for the healing of 
his body, and before he arose from his knees, he 
accepted the Lord as the healer of his soul and 
body. 

Shortly after this, a lady brought some medi- 
cine that she had been obliged to send a long 
distance to procure, and said that it was a cure 
for Saint Vitus's dance. After earnest pray about 
giving it to the boy, it was decided that we 
would not, so we returned it to the lady. The 
boy began to improve, and in a short time was 
perfectly restored, and to-day has not a symptom 
of the disease. 

How Satan tried to defeat the work that the 
Lord had undertaken, even through the instru- 
mentality of friends ! Many people marvelled at 
so many being healed who were prayed with 
at the healing meeting. But it is not a mar- 
vellous thing for God to accomplish : it is 
simply taking him at his word, by faith ; not 
willing yourself well, as u Christian Science " 
( falsely so called ) would have it, but trusting 
yourself in the hands of God ( not man ) for the 
work to be wrought. 



192 BEULAH LAND. 



At the close of the Sunday morning service, 
May the tenth, Brother and Sister Earle and 
myself were sent for to pray with a young lady 
who was suffering intensely from spinal meningi- 
tis. She had fainted twice during the morning 
while being moved, and her head was drawn back 
so far that it was distressing to look at her, while 
her groans were heart-rending. We anointed 
her with oil, and prayed thaf the Lord would 
speedily relieve her of her sufferings, if it was his 
will, and then sang : 

" She only touched the hem of his garment." 

When she united with us in singing, I asked : 

" Does he heal you now ? 

She replied : 

" I believe he does. 

In a few moments she arose, and walked into 
the kitchen, then came back, and, putting her 
arms around me, went into the parlor and sat 
down at the piano, and played and sang : 



9} 



>> 



" 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, 
Just to take him at his word ; 
Just to rest upon his promise, 
Just to know, ' Thus saith the Lord.' 



VICTORY. 193 

" Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, 
Just to trust his cleansing blood, 
Just in simple faith to plunge me 
' Neath the healing, cleansing flood. 

" Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, 
Just from sin and self to cease ; 
Just from Jesus simply taking 
Life, and rest, and joy, and peace. 

" I'm so glad I learned to trust thee, 
Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend, 
And I know that thou art with me, 
Wilt be with me to the end." 

When we left her she was perfectly well, and at 
three o'clock walked a long distance to attend 
our afternoon service, and very powerfully told 
what I have just related. 

How gratifying it is to have my Heavenly 
Father's skill and fame exalted ! and, I will say, 
just here, that for a number of years, neither 
Brother Earle's family nor mine have employed 
any other than the Heavenly Physician. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

OUTPOSTS. 

t 

NEITHER Brother and Sister Earle or 
myself had any plans for the work other 
than simply to take up, day by day, what our 
hands found to do. Souls were being saved con- 
tinually, and so far as we were able to judge, no 
stopping-place could be found. The house was 
often so filled with people that many were 
obliged to go away, and I may safely say that there 
have been not far from one hundred and fifty 
Catholics, largely young men, at a service, mak- 
ing up, at such times, a large portion of the con- 
gregation. Some of the people urged Brother 
and Sister Earle to consent to organize the 
rapidly growing numbers and converts into a 
church, and asked that a special meeting be 
called to consider the subject. 

In the meantime; our (Brother and Sister 



OUTPOSTS. I95 



Earle and myself ) united prayers were, that God 
would make our duty unmistakably plain, and if 
it was not his will, to let the desire diminish 
from that moment. At the end of the week 
those that had been foremost in the proposition, 
with all of the others, had little, if anything, to 
say on the subject, and seemed to think no more 
about it, so it was very evident, as we had felt,. 
that God did not want an organization at that 
time. 

I do not wish to convey the idea that these 
meetings met with no opposition, for they, and the 
doctrine of holiness, were opposed by nearly, if 
not every church in Newton ; but the Lord always 
vindicates his own. In the beginning of the work, 
we formed the converts into a simple band for 
mutual encouragement and watch-care, and in 
which they could remain until they found church 
homes. 

In June, after so many months of daily ser- 
vices, we deemed it advisable to hold only two 
nightly services a week, as the warm weather was 
fast approaching, and many were going away for 
the season. But little time was spent in idleness, 



I96 BEULAH LAND. 



for the remaining members of our band, and its 
leaders, were invited to hold services in different 
parts of Boston and some of the adjoining towns, 
which we accepted, and, we trust, many others 
were blessed as well as ourselves. 

Our band decided to spend the Fourth of July 
at the charming beach, "The Point of Pines/' 
and hold a religious service during the day. 
After w r e had made a public announcement to 
that effect, a lady called, and told us that it was 
a wild project for us to think of going to the 
Point of Pines to hold a meeting, for, if we were 
allowed to hold the service, the roughs, we 
might meet there, would so abuse us that we 
could not endure it. 

We had no fear of being abused, so, on the 
morning of the Fourth, fifty of us started to 
carry the glad tidings of a risen Saviour. We 
arrived there in time to hold a service before 
dinner, and at our second service, held at half- 
past four, two were converted to God, and others 
were wonderfully helped. We had a remarkable 
time all day, thereby proving that the Lord 
honors those who honor him. It was encourage 



OUTPOSTS. I97 



ing, in after months, to hear those precious souls 
testify of the saving power of God ; and not only 
these were benefited, but numerous others of 
whom we have since heard. 

A few evenings later, our band accepted an 
invitation from the pastor to hold a service in 
the People's Church, West Lynn, The service 
was one of great power, and twenty-four came to 
the altar for prayers. Praise God ! 

On the following Sunday afternoon, our band 
held an open-air service on the extensive lawns 
of one of its members, Mr. Henry Breck, of New- 
tonville. The audience of six hundred people 
gave remarkable attention. 

We left another appointment for the following 
Sunday, and when we were obliged to take up 
the meetings on the account of the cold weather, 
it was estimated our audiences had numbered fif- 
teen hundred people at a single service. 

Among those who sought and found the Sav- 
iour, was a young man who had sunken so low in 
sin and intemperance that he was discarded by 
his parents, had deserted his wife with an infant 
son, and was considered almost beyond redemp- 



I98 BEULAH LAND. 



tion. He ventured to hear the Word of God at 
the open-air service, and was so powerfully con- 
victed for sin that he gave his heart to the 
Saviour, and is now living happily with his wife 
in a pretty little home presented to him by his 
father. The conversion of those two precious 
souls would have been ample reward for our ser- 
vices, if nothing else had been accomplished. 

Our band accepted an invitation to hold a 
service at the residence of an aged lady in 
Waltham, which was sealed with the conversion 
of one soul. The dear old saint wanted us to 
come again, which we promised to do, and the 
house was so filled that we were obliged to hold 
the third service in Union Hall. The Lord 
mightily helped in the proclamation of his Gos- 
pel, and the converts told the simple story of 
Christ's power to save, and when we invited the 
unsaved to find Christ, two responded, and gave 
themselves to the Lord. 

Our service, the next week, was very interest- 
ing, despite the attendance of a good many 
roughs. 

The ride home in the moonlight was very 



OUTPOSTS. I99 



beautiful, and our notes of praise sounded over 
the hills and through the valleys. 

Not for a moment did we even imagine that 
perhaps we were on the very verge of a terrible 
disaster, until our driver told us, the next morn- 
ing, that as soon as the barge was rolled into the 
barn the evening before, one of the front wheels 
rolled off. 

But if the powers of evil intended to cause us 
to meet with an accident that might take some 
of our lives, they were miraculously defeated ; 
for our Heavenly Father was watching over and 
protecting us, and stayed that wheel until we 
were all safely at home. Satan knew that God 
was going to give us a victory in Waltham, and 
he was determined to defeat us ; but, praise the 
Lord ! he has never conquered those that put 
their trust in God, and he never will. 

We decided, after urgent solicitations by the 
President of the Reform Club, and many others, 
to hold services in Union Hall every Sunday 
evening, until the Lord should direct differently. 
We were at our post of duty in Waltham every 
week for months, and many were the precious 



200 BEULAH LAND. 



tokens we received of God's approval of our work 
there. 

A few weeks later an invitation was accepted 
to speak before the Waltham Reform Club on 
Sunday afternoon, at five o'clock. The Lord 
wonderfully helped to present the truth to many 
hearers, and, I trust, beneficially. 

Our meetings moved successfully on, and the 
second service for the Reform Club was in the 
Congregational Church. A number of ministers 
were present, and made a few brief remarks, and 
much good seed was planted in the hearts of the 
hearers, which, I trust, will take root, and grow, 
and bring forth fruit. Just before Christmas I 
received many tokens of remembrance and appre- 
ciation of my disinterested labors from the 
people of Waltham, which I appreciated very 
highly. 

We continued the meetings until midwinter, 
when we felt that the converts and more experi- 
enced Christians were strong enough to stand 
alone, and could occasionally report at our New- 
ton meetings. 

Little did we think when we held the little 



OUTPOSTS. 201 



meeting in that dear old lady's parlor, that it 
would terminate in a Young Men's Christian 
Association, which is now in a flourishing condi- 
tion in Waltham, and is considered the direct 
outgrowth of our work there. The General Sec- 
retary of the Boston Young Men's Christian 
Association, a leader in Association work through 
the State, called at Brother Earle's office at the 
time of the organization of the Waltham Asso- 
ciation, and said : 

"Brother Earle, I want to tell you, that Wal- 
tham Association is the direct outgrowth of your 
work in Union Hall." 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE SURPRISE. 

IN the fall of 1885, I assisted Rev. Mr. Coon 
at a three days' convention for the promo- 
tion of holiness, held in his church at Swamp- 
scott, Mass. The second day of the convention, 
Mr. Coon thought it best to have an open-air 
service sandwiched in between the other services 
of the day. The place selected for the service 
was at the monument, near the beach, so the 
speakers and singers were unprotected from the 
bleak winds from the Atlantic. 

One of the lady singers took a severe cold, 
which settled on her lungs. The next morning 
she was unable to speak above a whisper, and the 
pain in her lungs almost prostrated her. She 
came to me, and said : 

" Sister Carter, I cannot stay through the 
convention, for I am becoming so weak that I 



THE SURPRISE. 20$ 



fear I shall be unable to get home if I do not go 
at once." 

" Let us go up in the auditorium," I replied, 
"and Sister Earle and I will pray with you." 

As we were going up the stairs, the enemy 
whispered : 

" It would have been more sensible for you to 
have gone in the back of the church alone with 
her, than to go where there are so many people ; 
then the disgrace of a failure w©uld have been 
less." 

Thus he suggested to me until we walked 
nearly to the altar, where we knelt. Sister Earle 
knelt on one side of the lady, and I on the other. 
I had been on my knees but a few moments, 
when I received the assurance that the Lord was 
going to heal her. When Sister Earle and I had 
finished praying, we sang, " All for Jesus.' 

I said to the lady : 

" Sing, sister ; sing by faith." 

She opened her mouth, and the clear, sweet 
strains of music she sang convinced unbelievers 
that Christ could heal the body as well as the 
soul, 



204 BEULAH LAND. 



She was perfectly restored to health, and in- 
stead of going home, as she had intended 
remained during the three weeks' revival, and, 
with another dear sister, who is now a missionary 
in South America, did a great deal of successful 
personal work among the people. 

In the following November I assisted at a 
holiness convention at the People's Church, Bos- 
ton, and as I saw the large altar filled with 
people seeking pardon and heart-purity, I 
breathed a silent prayer that God would let Bible 
holiness spread until it should fill the whole 
earth. 

Brother and Sister Earle and myself accepted 
an invitation to conduct an evening service at the 
Lewis Street Mission, Boston. It is said to be 
one of the lowest and most degraded localities on 
the continent. It was a great relief, and very 
refreshing, to step into the clean room where the 
mission meetings were held, after walking a long 
distance, where one could see only grog-shops 
and groups of dirty, ragged, half-starved chil- 
dren, and reckless men and women. 

As we stepped on the platform, I noticed a 



THE SURPRISE. 205 



beautiful bouquet of white flowers, with just two 
pinks, one crimson, and the other scarlet. 

■ 

While I was admiring it, a text was given me : 
" Come now, and let us reason together, saith 
the Lord ; though your sins be as scarlet, they 
shall be as white as snow ; though they be red 
like crimson, they shall be as wool." 

The Lord helped me to use the bouquet as a 
powerful illustration of the text, and, I trust, to 
leave a lasting impression on the hearers. 

When Brother Earle spoke, and invited the 
sinners to leave a life of sorrow and shame, and 
find peace and happiness in trusting Jesus, sev- 
eral responded, and gave up sin and degradation, 
and accepted Christ as their Saviour. 

Brother Dee, who was then the missionary at 
that point, and who labored so faithfully for the 
Master with whom he has since gone to dwell, 
said many of the men who came into the mission 
meetings were graduates of college, and some 
had studied abroad, while- others had been in 
prosperous business, with happy homes and 
families. But that many of them had, by the 
use of wine at their father's tables, cultivated the 



206 BEULAH LAND. 



appetite that had proved so ruinous to them, 
that had stolen their manhood, and caused them 
to pillow their aching heads on the hard street 
pavement, instead of resting in the cheerful 
room made attractive by a wife's loving hand, or 
a mother's careful directions. 

Can we be too radical on the temperance ques- 
tion, or say or do anything that will help to 
continue the traffic that is dragging our brothers 
and sisters down to pauperism ; that is making 
wives' and mothers' hearts ache, to hear their 
innocent little children cry in vain for bread ? 
No ! and as long as God gives me breath, I will 
defend and help the temperance cause. 

On the evening of December 5th, Brother and 
Sister Earle and a large company of people of 
Newton and vicinity came heavily laden with 
presents for me. I was so surprised that I could 
scarcely speak, and sank down into the nearest 
chair. 

After visiting for a little while, they turned it 
into a praise and class-meeting, which was beau- 
tiful and profitable. Before they left, I was 
presented with a purse of money, which was, 



THE SURPRISE. 207 



with the other gifts, very timely ; for I had, no 
later than that morning, asked my Heavenly 
Father for the very things that were brought. 
Never will I forget the dear ones who so kindly 
remembered me. And may the richest blessings 
of God forever rest upon them, is my earnest 
prayer. 

I had a great desire to have a piano, so that 
Belle and Ella might complete their musical 
education, and felt confident that the desire was 
begotten by the Holy Spirit. I did not fold my 
hands, and expect one to come to me, when it 
was in my power to see what could be done, but 
visited different establishments in Boston. I did 
not have my mind fixed on any particular make, 
until I heard the clear, sweet and brilliant tone 
of one that perfectly charmed me. The sales- 
man was very anxious for me to purchase one, 
which I could not do then, but said that if 
the Lord opened the way for me to, I would 
soon. 

A few days later I accepted an invitation to 
preach at a convention at Mystic Bridge, Conn., 
and when I returned home, about the first thing 



208 BEULAH LAND. 



that I saw was the new upright piano, which the 
Lord has enabled me to keep. Praise his dear 
name forever ! " Surely, no good thing will he 
withhold from those who walk uprightly.' ' 

During the winter months I received many 
calls from different parts of the United States to 
hold revivals, which I felt obliged to refuse. 
Many outside of our work wondered why I did 
not accept some of them, as several were from 
pastors of exceedingly popular churches ; but I 
invariably replied, when such questions were 
asked me : 

" Since the Lord has not given me a * Thus 
saith the Lord/ to accept them, my service would 
be of no value. The only ' Thus saith the 
Lord/ that I have at present, is to remain in 
Newton, and make a raid on the fortifications of 



sin. 



A great many thought that I was decidedly 
out of the order of the Lord in doing so, but how 
blessed it is to realize that it is our Heavenly 
Father's hand that leadeth us. Although it may 
be in paths that cross the opinion of many ( per- 
haps some that are very dear to us ), and that 



THE SURPRISE. 



209 



are very undesirable, humanly speaking, yet 
when the human is lost in the divine will of God, 
and we can feel that the hand of God is in 
everything, it makes us to delight in the path 
that our Redeemer trod. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

" I DELIGHT TO DO THY WILL" 

EARLY in the spring I accepted a very 
urgent call from Rev. C. J. Fowler, pas- 
tor of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, Haver- 
hill, Mass., to hold a revival for him. 

While I was on the horse-car going to Boston, 
an aged gentleman entered the car, and as all 
of the seats were occupied, I gave my seat to 
him. In a moment a lady arose, and gave me 
her seat, which was next to this gentleman. He 
thanked me for my kindness in giving him my 
seat, and I improved the opportunity of asking 
him if he was a Christian. He said that he had 
followed Jesus for many years, and that he was 
eighty-one years of age. He seemed to be very 
much interested in the topic, and more so, when 
I sung, "'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus," my 
favorite piece, 



"I DELIGHT TO DO THY WILL," 211 



After I had finished singing it, he said : 

" Will you please sing another piece for me ? 
It has been years since I have heard such sing- 
ing. 

I sang as he desired me, and then talked to 
him of Jesus until he arrived at his destina- 
tion. 

When I arrived in Haverhill, I was met at the 
station by Mr. Fowler, who accompanied me to 
my boarding-place. After a good night's rest, I 
opened my eyes and saw that the beautiful sun 
was shining on the snow-mantled earth, making 
everything appear at its best, to be in perfect 
harmony with the Sabbath day. 

As I entered the church I was thrilled with 
the sweet strains of music from the choir that 
rendered such valuable service during my stay. 
After the preliminary exercises, and the pastor 
had introduced me to the large audience, I 
announced my text, in Nehemiah: " So built 
we the wall, for the people had a mind to 
work." 

The Lord wonderfully helped me to declare 
his unadulterated truth, and several manifested a 



212 BEULAH LAND. 



desire to become Christians. I preached twice 
a day, and quite a number were converted at 
each service ; but the break did not come until 
the following Sunday. I addressed the large 
Sabbath-school that met at the close of the 
morning preaching, and fifty came forward for 
prayers. It was as glorious a sight as I ever wit- 
nessed, and at the close of the evening service, 
sixty-five had professed to find peace in Christ 
during the day's services. 

The meetings continued to grow in interest, and 
I had helped Mr. Fowler nearly three weeks, 
when I felt that I must return to my work in 
Newton. The converts and congregation met on 
Friday evening, supposing it was my last night 
with them, and many prayers were offered, 
among them a very earnest one, by the pastor, 
that the Lord would not let me make a mistake 
by going home too soon. While the prayers 
were being offered, I decided to stay another 
week with them, which caused much joy, and 
many declared that their faith was strengthened. 
I felt obliged to return to Newton, and stay over 
the Sabbath, which they willingly consented to 



"i DELIGHT TO DO THY WILL." 213 

have me do, since I had promised to return to 
Haverhill. 

The dear ones at home were delighted to see 
me, and seemed very anxious to have me remain 
at home on Monday evening, and when my chil- 
dren reminded me that Monday was my birthday, 
I decided to remain, and return to Haverhill on 
Tuesday, and telegraphed to Mr. Fowler to that 
effect. I thought that to spend my birthday 
with Brother Earle's family and mine would be 
very pleasant ; but imagine my surprise when 
the door-bell was answered in the evening, to 
have a large company of people enter the par- 
lor, laden with presents for me. We had a very 
enjoyable praise and thanksgiving service, and 
then my friends said they would give their con- 
sent for me, to return to Haverhill, providing I 
only remained one week. 

Precious, thoughtful ones ! How glad I am 
that I remained at home, instead of upsetting all 
of their plans ! Then I could understand why 
they were so anxious to have me preach in New- 
ton on the previous Sunday. 

The meetings during the week at Haverhill 



214 BEULAH LAND. 



were powerful, and before I left, scores testified 
to the saving power of God, which was foreign to 
their souls before the revival meetings. 

Perhaps my readers will be anxious to know 
the results of my singing on the horse-car, when 
I was going to Boston en route for Haverhill. I 
think the best way will be to copy an extract 
from a letter that I received from home a few 
days after I arrived in Haverhill. It read as 
follows : 

" Dear mother, little did you think that your 
singing in the horse-car would echo and re-echo 
in the various places of worship in Watertown 
and Newton ; but we have heard of it from many 
sources. The conductor that you are acquainted 
with, who attends our meetings regularly, gave 
quite a lengthy account of the trip, as it was his 
car that you were on. He said that many pas- 
sengers inquired of him who that lady was, and 
said that, if it would have been proper, they 
would have asked for an introduction to her. 
He also said that many passengers rode far past 
their destination for the sake of hearing her sing. 
He did not say who the lady was until he had 



"I DELIGHT TO DO THY WILL." 21$ 

related his description, and then he turned about 
and faced the people, and said : 

" ' And, my friends, I felt honored to say to 
the many who asked me her name, that it was 
Sister Carter, who conducted the meetings at 
Deacon Earle's, in Newton/ 

" Mother, I wished you could have heard the 
many 'Praise the Lords' and * Hallelujahs, [ 
when he sat down ! Of course we all had to 
smile at the abrupt and yet pleasing way that he 
closed his remarks, and, of course, I was not 
ashamed that it was my mother." 

Not for a moment did I think of the people 
around me when I was singing for the old gen- 
tleman, but just did as the Lord inclined me. 
How true this Scripture is : 

" So shall my word be that goeth forth out of 
my mouth ; it shall not return unto me void, but 
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it 
shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." 

I praise the Lord for the courage that he has 
given me to do his will, and I can say with the 
Psalmist : " I delight to do thy will, my God ; 
yea, thy law is within my heart." How glad I 



2l6 BEULAH LAND. 

am that we do not have to endure religion, but 
can enjoy it ! 

During the spring and summer my duties in 
connection with the work included much visita- 
tion from house to house, in Newton and Water- 
town, and I often started out not knowing where 
I should go, but trusted God to lead me. One 
day I met little Eva Earle, as she was coming 
from school, and her mother said that as soon as 
she got home she said : 

" O, mamma ! I just saw auntie." 

" Did you, dear ? Where was she going ? " 
her mother asked. 

" Oh ! I don't know, and I don't suppose that 
she knew herself, for you know, mamma, that 
she lets the Lord lead her," was the reply. 

As I walked on, I asked the Lord to direct my 
footsteps, and this passage of Scripture came 
very forcibly to my mind : " The steps of a good 
man are ordered by the Lord." 

I had only gone a short distance farther when 
I found myself walking involuntarily up the walk 
to a tenement house. I rang the bell, which was 
answered by a careworn-looking mother, who in- 



I DELIGHT TO DO THY WILL. 217 



vited me to enter. I introduced myself, and dur- 
ing the conversation learned that she was a back- 
slider. She introduced me to her daughter, who 
was so emaciated from the Saint Vitus's dance 
that she was a mere shadow. I prayed with 
both of them, and was led to ask for the healing 
of the daughter, which I did. They did not give 
their hearts to the Saviour, and I thought to 
myself, " I wonder what more I can do in this 

house ! " and then I breathed a silent prayer that 
God would help me to fulfill the mission on 
which he had sent me. 

I happened to think that perhaps there might 
be other families in the house, and when I called 
on one that lived in the upper suite of rooms in 
the rear of the building, I felt that it was to that 
family in particular that the Lord had sent me, 
for they were in very straitened circumstances. 
I found a sick mother, who was a widow, and 
quite advanced in years, with two daughters, and 
learned that the eldest daughter's husband had 
deserted her, and left her to support her infant 
child that had been crying in vain for food, and 
fallen asleep from exhaustion. The support of 



21 8 BEULAH LAND. 



the family rested on the youngest daughter, 
who had only seen seventeen summers, and 
served from morning until night for very scant 
wages. 

They were all unconverted, and did not know 
how to trust God for what they needed. I gave 
them all the money I had, and felt well repaid 
when I saw the mother cry for joy at the pros- 
pect of having a wholesome meal. I turned their 
case over into the hands of our " Young Ladies* 
Association/ 5 which I will soon describe, and in 
a short time thev were all converted. Praise the 
Lord ! It always pays to obey the Lord, and 
trust him implicitly. 

When I left the house, after being invited 
many times to call again, I saw a number of 
neglected-looking children in the street. I 
stopped one little boy, and asked him if he went 
to Sabbath-school. He looked me in the face, 
and very boldly answered : 

"No." 

Said I : 

" Do you live near here ? " 

" Y-e-s/' was the reply. 



"I DELIGHT TO DO THY WILL. 2l<) 

" Will you please show me where you live ? ■" I 
asked. 

He led me through a long alley-way, to one of 
the most filthy homes that I ever saw, where 
I found his mother and eight half-clad, filthy 
children. I talked with the mother, and found 
that she was a Catholic, and could not persuade 
her to let her children attend a Protestant Sab- 
bath-school. 

As I was about to leave, I noticed that another 
family lived near by. When I called on them, I 
discovered that they were Swedes. I thought 
that perhaps my call would be useless, but I 
tried my best to make them understand what 
I said, and then knelt and asked the Lord to bless 
the call, as it would amount to nothing unless he 
did. 

I called on the Swede family again in a few 
days,, and was a little better able to understand 
the few words of broken English that they 
spoke. 

The next Tuesday evening the Swede lady 
came to meeting, and was powerfully converted 
to God, and on Sunday her daughter was con- 



220 BEULAH LAND. 



verted, and a few weeks later the father was 
converted ; and in a few months the lady on 
whom I first called in the tenement house, came 
to meeting, and said that her daughter was en- 
tirely healed of the Saint Vitus's dance about two 
weeks after I prayed with her. The result was 
that the mother and her two daughters accepted 
Christ as their Saviour, and found peace in 
believing. How true it is that "The steps of a 
good man are ordered by the Lord." 



CHAPTER XIX. 

SOWING BY THE WAYSIDE. 

ONE day, while I was sitting at the bedside 
of a young lady who was suffering from 
slow fever, I penned these words : 

Now, Lord, thy strength impart ; 

My idols shall be slain, 
And thou, dear Jesus, in my heart, 

Have power alone to reign. 



Chorus : 



Chorus % 



I've stepped out on the promises ; 

The blood flows o'er my soul ; 
I have the peace that Jesus gives, 

By faith I'm now made whole. 

I bow to thee alone, 

My precious Saviour, King, 
And humbly worship at thy throne, 

And lo, for joy I sing. 



222 BEULAH LAND. 



New light now fills my soul ; 

My sins are all forgiven, 

And waves of glory o'er me roll, 

A sweet foretaste of heaven. 
Chorus : 

A few days later, as I sat at my piano, the 
Lord gave me a melody for the words, which I 
arranged, and then laid away, asking the Lord 
that, if it was his will for it to be in print, that 
it would be called for when I felt impressed to 
sing it. 

In September, I accepted an invitation to 
preach at a camp-meeting held at Rutland, Vt. 
The holiness camp-meeting was quite a novelty 
to the villagers, for it was the first one that 
was ever held in that community. Many at- 
tended it out of curiosity, but before they left 
the grounds, had in possession the pearl of great 
price. The meetings were grand, and I trust 
that much good was accomplished at each ser- 
vice. 

I was invited to assist at a convention at Beth- 
lehem, among the White Mountains, and was 
advertised for that place ; but the urgent calls 
for me to hold revivals multiplied on my hands, 



SOWING BY THE WAYSIDE. 223 



until the gentlemen that had charge of the con- 
vention liberated me from my engagement with 
them, and I went to Rochester, N. H., instead, 
and held a revival in the M. E. Church, for its 
pastor, Rev. Mr. Bradlee. The revival was one 
of great power, and multitudes were brought to 
the Lord, and not a few sought and obtained 
holiness. 

At different times during the meetings I sang, 

" I've stepped out on the promises," 

with excellent effect. I sang it mostly at the 
altar service, and one Sabbath afternoon, at the 
close of the service, several asked me where they 
could get that piece, I told them that it was 
original, and that it was not in print. 

"Well," said the pastor, "that piece is full of 
salvation, and we must have it. ,: 

" Yes," said some that were standing near, 
" it was through the singing of that piece that I 
was led to find the Saviour." 

Others said they were wholly sanctified while 
singing the chorus. 

What more of an evidence did I need that 
God wanted it printed ? I sent word to Brother 



124 BEULAH LAND. 



Earle the next morning, and it was soon in print 
and was received in time to have it at my last 
service in Rochester. 

Many have found peace in Jesus by the sing- 
ing of it since it has been in print, and all the 
praise be to my Heavenly, Father. 

On Christmas our hearts were made to rejoice 
at the tokens of remembrance that we received 
from our friends, and among them was a purse of 
money from my friends at the Boston Monday 
Meeting, for which I wish to express my heartfelt 
thanks. 

One day, when it was so cold that the ther- 
mometer was below zero, I felt impressed to call 
on a widow lady who lived quite a distance from 
me. The air was so penetrating that it chilled 
me through just coming from the post-office, but 
I decided to protect myself as best I could, and 
call and see if some trouble was the reason why 
I was so strongly impressed to call on her. 

The walks were very icy, and I was becoming 
quite chilled before I reached her house, but this 
Scripture helped me on my way, " This is the 
way, walk ye in it." When I arrived at her house 



SOWING BY THE WAYSIDE. 225 

^— — ■ ■■ " ■■ ■ — ■■—II. - — - I « ■ ■■ ■ ! ! — ■ ■■■- ■ — ^— — — W |, ■ ■ ■ ■! ■« 

she seemed unusually delighted to see me, and I 
could see no reason why I should have called 
until we had conversed for some time, when she 
said : 

" Sister Carter, I feel that I ought to tell you 
that I believe the Lord has sent you here to-day 
in answer to my prayers all of the morning. All 
of the fuel that I have is in the stove, and I am 
unable to get any more ; but I think if you would 
go to the deaconesses of the church of which I 
am a member, they would send me some.' 1 

I told her that I would only be too glad to go, 
and we both knelt and thanked God that I had 
been sent there, and asked him to go with me, 
and incline the right hearts to render the needed 
assistance. The direction in which I was obliged 
to go, took me farther and farther from home, but 
it was on an errand for one of my Father's chil- 
dren, so I did not mind it. 

The Lord surely was my forerunner, for I not 
only received an order for coal, but an order on 
the grocery also ; and, before the sun set that 
night, she had an ample supply to last for some 
time. When I arrived at home I was somewhat 



226 BEULAH LANJD. 



fatigued, but was not nearly so cold as I expected 
to be. I could rejoice with that mother and her 
two little children, for I had experienced such de- 
liverances myself. 

On the last day of the old year I went to Hav- 
erhill to assist Brother Fowler in holding a watch- 
night service. It afforded me great pleasure to 
again meet the many converts and hear their 
precious testimonies, and to find that the work 
that began during the last spring was yet speak- 
ing, 

In January I conducted a revival at Penacook, 
N. H., with Rev. Mr. Taylor, and the Lord 
so convicted the unsaved, that robust men would 
weep like children and implore the Lord to have 
mercy on them, which he always does have on the 
penitent. I had to take up the cross and refuse 
many urgent calls for my services, as my body 
was too much worn, and needed rest ; for the 
Lord does not require any more of his children 
than they can do. 

Some may think it strange that it is a cross for 
me to do so, but when I see the unsaved going 
headlong into perdition, and so many others that 



SOWING BY THE WAYSIDE. 22 7 



do not take warning by their fate, but rush wildly 
after the world, it creates a yearning in my heart 
to reach out a helping hand, weak though it may 
be, and lead them to Jesus. I praise the Lord 
that it is not always necessary to be in the 
pulpit or prayer-meeting to find an opportunity 
to sow seed for our Master ; but that on the train 
or horse-car, or in the depot or store, there mav 
be a little word dropped that will take root in 
some heart, and grow and bring forth fruit. 

It was by a little word and a loving touch that 
the dissipated life of our lamented lecturer, Mr. 
Gough, was reversed ; for the little seed grew and 
brought forth much fruit. 

One day while I was about my work, this Scrip- 
ture was ringing in my ears almost constantly, 
" I was sick and in prison, and ye visited me." 
Finally I said : " Heavenly Father, teach me who 
is sick and where I can find them, and I will 
visit them." 

In the afternoon I started out in search of the 
sick one, depending on God to direct me. After 
I had called at every house but one on the street, 
I wondered why I did not find the sick one. Of 



228 BEULAH LAND. 



course I did not ask the people if there were any 
sick in that vicinity, but simply talked to them 
ubout their souls, and prayed with them ; but 
when I called at the last house I found the sick 
one. 

After I had talked and prayed with the lady, 
and was about to leave, she said : 

"I do not get out very much, for I have an 
invalid daughter." 

" Oh! " said I, "is this where the sick one is ? 
May I see her ? " 

In a few moments I was introduced to the 
invalid, who welcomed me heartily. I found that 
.she was a great sufferer, and was beyond the 
help of all medical skill. She was a Christian, 
but had questions in her mind that troubled her 
very much, which the Lord helped me, by his 
word, to settle. 

In a few days I received a note from her, ask- 
ing me to call as soon as I could make it con- 
venient. When I answered the note, she said : 

" Mrs. Carter, I have a confession to make to 
you. When I was well, and able to go to meet- 
ing, I would not go to hear you preach at Deacon 



SOWING BY THE WAYSIDE. 22Q 

Earle's, and as soon as I was taken sick, I felt 
that I ought to send for you to come and pray 
with me, but I would not, and now the Lord has 
sent you to me. How glad I am that you were 
more obedient to the Lord than I. I am sure 
that the Lord sent you, for I felt ever so much 
better, soul .and body, after you left, and I am 
feeling better now." 

Before I left I sang for her : " "Tis so sweet to 
trust in Jesus." 

After we had prayed, and when I was getting 
ready to leave, her mother came to the room, and 
said a lady wished to see her daughter, and 
receive an introduction to me. The lady said 
that while she was sitting in the parlor, she 
heard me singing, and instantly recognized my 
voice as the one that she heard on the horse-car 
the day that I sang for the old gentleman, and 
that she had desired, for a long time, to form my 
acquaintance. I said : 

" Praise the Lord ! It pays more and more 
every day to be true to Jesus." 

One day, when I called on my invalid friend, 
she asked me if I would pray for the healing 



23O BEULAH LAND. 



of her body, if it would be the will of the 
Lord. 

I had no sooner touched my knees to the floor 
than I felt confident that God would be pleased 
to have me ask for her healing. I had great lib- 
erty in prayer, and when I arose, I told the suf- 
ferer to expect to be restored at any time. She 
claimed the healing of her body by faith, and 
began to improve, so that in a few weeks she was 
able to return some of the many calls that I 
made her. 

The last time she called on me, she put her 
arms around my neck, and very tenderly kissed 
me good-by, for she was ' going to spend the 
summer abroad. 

She has written me a letter that is enough to 
inspire any one. Her faith in God is unwaver- 
ing. She trusts him implicitly, and says that 
there are no desires in her heart for the follies of 
the world. Praise the Lord forever ! 



CHAPTER XX. 

THE HOMELESS WANDERER, 

THE fifth of March was as cold a day as 
I ever experienced. Just after dinner I 
heard a loud thump at the sitting-room window, 
and when I hastened to see what was wanted, I 
saw Daisy Earle beckoning me to look at a 
woman who was passing. 

"Auntie," said she, "I will be in in a few 
moments, and tell you all about her." 

I noticed that the woman was crying when she 
passed, and I felt anxious to know the cause of 
her grief. 

In a short time Daisy came running up the 
walk, and I met her at the door. When she was 
seated by the fire, she began : 

"Well, I will begin at the very first, and tell 
you all. I must hurry through, for I want to go 
and see which way she goes." 



232 BEULAH LAND. 



She pushed herself a little farther from the 
fire, and continued : 

" She came to Aunt Julia's door, and asked 
Aunt Julia if she had any work that she could 
do. Aunt Julia said no, but asked her to come 
in and get warm. She burst out crying, and 
said that she wished she would die that moment. 
Aunt Julia coaxed her until she came in, but she 
kept on crying so loud, and saying that she 
wished God would kill her, that she could be heard 
in the next house ; and when Aunt Julia had 
Elsie get her some dinner, she jumped up, and 
run out of the house, crying, f I won't eat! I 
can't get w r ork, and I want to die ! O Lord, do 
let me freeze to death ! ' And that is what she 
was saying when she passed here." 

"Do you know where she went ?' I asked. 

"Yes, ma'am," Daisy continued; "she went 
up to the Intelligence Office, and couldn't get 
any work there, and when the lady offered her 
something to eat, she said : ' I won't eat ! I 
want to die, and the quicker the better/ and 
rushed out into the street. 

"I met Aunt Julia's Ray, and we decided 



THE HOMELESS WANDERER. 233 

we had better tell her to see Auntie Carter, 
and she would pray with her, and then she 
would find work. I was almost afraid to say 
anything to her, but I'll go and see where 
she is. " 

And with that Daisy rushed off, but in a few 
moments came back with the heart-broken, half- 
starved, half-frozen woman. She came in with- 
out hesitating, and took the rocker that I placed 
by the fire. She was still crying, and her face 
was much swollen, while her hands and wrists 
that were bare, were purple. 

I tried to persuade her to have something to 
eat, which she would not hear to, until I said : 

" Why, my dear woman, don't you know that 
no one will employ you if you are sick ? And 
you certainly will be, if you do not eat some- 
thing." 

She commenced to relent a little, but tried to 
put me off by saying : 

"The people are all hogs; that's just what 
they are. I had lots of friends when I had 
money, but after they cheated me out of all of it, 
they did not want me," 



2j4 BEULAH LAND. 



" Have you any place to stay to-night ? " I 
asked. 

" Yes ; thank God, I have the streets ! ' she 
replied. 

"Well," said I, " I will see that you shall be 
cared for to-night and over the Sabbath, so just 
come and have some dinner. ,, 

She dried her tears, and ate a hearty dinner, 
and then said : 

"••I have not eaten anything since yesterday 
morning. I only had to walk five miles to get 
here. Some people told me to come here, for I 
could get lots of work ; but there are just as big 
hogs here as anywhere, and plenty of them, 
too." 

After she was thoroughly warmed, and had 
indulged in quite a little conversation, I talked to 
her about her soul. She seemed to be very 
much impressed by what I said, and knelt for us 
to pray for her, and before she arose from her 
knees, I have no reason to doubt that she gave 
her heart to the Lord. 

My daughter gave her a cloak and a pair of 
warm gloves, which made her very comfortable, 



THE HOMELESS WANDERER. 2J5 



and I wrote a note to a Mission in Boston, and 
gave her money to pay her car fare, and keep 
her over the Sabbath. She smiled very happily, 
and after thanking us many times for our kind- 
ness, she started down the street. 

Thoughtful Daisy came in in a few moments, 
and said that when the poor woman passed her, 
she heard her say to herself : 

" I'm so glad ! I'm so glad ! " 

I thought of the poor, friendless woman, with 
no one on earth to confide in, many times, and 
wondered where she was, and what she was 
doing, but did not hear from her for a number of 
months. 

One day, at the close of a meeting in Boston, 
a lady came to me, and said : 

" Sister Carter, I have wanted to see you for a 
long time, and tell you about the woman that you 
sent to the Mission. I happened to be in the 
Mission when she came, so she handed the note 
to me. When I saw your signature, I took her 
to a good boarding-house, and paid her board, 
and on the following Wednesday I paid her ex- 
penses to the city in New Hampshire where she 



236 BEULAH LAND. 



was acquainted. I received a letter from her a 
few days ago, and she heartily thanked me for 
my kindness, and wished me to thank the lady in 
Newton for her again. She has a good situation, 
and is trusting God daily." 

What comforting intelligence this was ! How 
glad I felt that God had enabled me to say a 
word that had encouraged one of my heart-broken 
sisters, and thereby led her to the Saviour, the 
true friend of the friendless. 



"Long her imprisoned spirit lay, 

Fast bound in sin and nature's night : 

God's eye diffused a quickening ray, 

She woke, the dungeon flamed with light : 

Her chains fell off ; her heart was free." 



CHAPTER XXI. 

OUR YOUNG LADIES' WORK. 

ON the eighteenth of May, I and many 
others had the privilege of attending the 
first anniversary of the " Young Ladies' Associa- 
tion of Newton." The association is another 
direct outgrowth of the meetings that are held at 
Brother Earle's. My daughter Belle was Presi- 
dent, and Ella was the superintendent of the 
visiting department, and Brother and Sister 
Earle's daughter Mabel was secretary, while their 
daughter Daisy was on the flower department. 
I will gather from the columns of the Contributor 
a brief account of their work, written for that 
paper by "Ruth Montgomery/' editor of the 
" Housekeeper's Department " : 

A PROSPEROUS FLOWER, SICK AND SEWING MISSION. 

The Good Will Mission, founded, and having 



238 BEULAH LAND. 



its centre of operations at the residence of 
James H. Earle, the publisher of the Contributor, 
in the suburbs of Boston, has, among its various 
wide-reaching branches of benevolent and Chris- 
tian work, a Young Ladies' Association. Not 
long ago, they celebrated their anniversary at the 
home already referred to, and the occasion was 
thus described in the Newton Journal : 



**A PLEASANT ANNIVERSARY." 

"Mr. Editor \ 

"We were present at the anniversary exercises of the Young 
Ladies' Association of Newton, last Wednesday evening, and it 
was one of the most enjoyable evenings we have ever spent. 

"A pyramid or bank of flowers rose at least six feet in the 
centre of the back parlor, the base completely hiding from view 
a fine-toned organ, and the music seemed to float through a 
fragrant mist of lilac and apple blossoms, while at the pinnacle 
and nearly reaching to the gas jets were long, slender sprays of 
flowering almonds. 

" On each side of the organ were groups of beautiful girls, 
officers and members of the Association, dressed in white, with 
no ornaments but a cluster of exquisite buds and blossoms. 
They seemed themselves a part of the floral display, so fair, so 
pure, so full of grace and sweetness. Their songs were rendered 
in perfect harmony and the sentiment was strikingly well-chosen 
for the occasion, There was such an absence of self-conscious* 



OUR YOUNG LADIES WORK. 239 



ness or of affectation that we were charmed with the singers as 
well as thrilled by the music. 

" The general report of the secretary was a wonderful story 
of what can be accomplished by enthusiastic, consecrated young 
hearts and hands. 

" The superintendent of the visiting department caused us to 
laugh and cry alternately at the quaint pictures and touching in- 
cidents. 

" The superintendent of the flower department gave beautiful 
incidents of the work of their flower mission, especially the gifts 
of plants of rare fragrance to the blind. 

"They have also a department for sewing, a new but very 
fitting one in the work of benevolence. 

"The superintendent of this department gave incidents of 
weary mothers and needy ones whose burdens had been wonder- 
fully lifted by the helping hands of the youug ladies who went 
to these homes with needles and thimbles, or worked for an 
afternoon once a week, at some place previously appointed. 

"They also hold weekly praise and prayer meetings at an 
almshouse in an adjoining town, and seem to be constantly 
provoking one another to good works." 

" A VISITOR." 

We would like to give the readers of the Con- 
tributor an introduction to these young ladies 
and to their work, as an encouragement to other 
young ladies to go and do likewise. We are able 
to do this because of personal acquaintance with 



24O BEULAH LAND. 



them ; and we are sure a knowledge of what the 
Lord has enabled them to do, must encourage, 
strengthen, and stimulate others. 

Though they have accomplished such results, 
they are not young ladies of leisure ; one of 
them has only reached her twentieth summer, but 
she and her younger sister, the superintendent of 
one of the committees, know how to make home 
pleasant for their dear ones. Two others, re- 
siding at some distance, in the suburbs of the 
city, have practical acquaintance with all the 
daily round of duties in the farm-house. They 
harness and drive their own horses to the va- 
rious posts of duty, one of these young ladies 
being superintendent of the sewing depart- 
ment, planning work as well as executing the 
same. 

Another is engaged several hours, daily, at an 
office, sending and receiving electric dispatches, 
others of the nurtiber are yet in school, while 
anxious to do their best, and win promotion each 
term. 

Another most cheerily lifts a multitude of cares 
for her mother in the interim of her studies. 



OUR YOUNG LADIES* WORK. 24I 



The secretary reported that during the year 
these young ladies had learned : 

k " When one is willing to work for the Master, opportunities 
are not wanting. We have not grown weary of our labor. Our 
enthusiasm is not less than when we began, but our desire is in- 
creasing that new doors of usefulness may open for us to enter. 

" We have made three hundred and sixty-four calls ; have 
been eyes to the blind, reading, singing, and taking fragrant 
flowers to brighten the darkness of those whose eyes were 
closed to the beauties around them, but whose senses were 
awake to the enjoyment of sweet-scented blossoms. For such, 
choice plants were selected, that the perfume of the lemon ver- 
bena and heliotrope might remain when the visitor departed. 

" A sick one has been watched through the long dark hours 
of the night, the needy assisted, the weary rested by these help- 
ing hands. One hundred and thirty-eight bouquets have given 
their silent messages of love in sick-rooms, homes of poverty, 
and public institutions. Ten plants remained to speak a longer 
time of the tender care of the Father who made them in all their 
beauty, and caused their perfume to breathe out upon the air. 

" Little children in the streets of the dusty city received beau- 
tiful flowers in their outstretched hands, and the floral offerings 
have been laid on a baby's casket. 

"Eighteen days' work of sewing lifted more than one weary 
mother out of the valley of discouragement, and made the bur- 
den of life seem light once more ; rides have been given, and 
delicacies prepared and carried to the sick." 

Then came a long list of articles of clothing, 



242 BEULAH LAND. 



food, and fruits given to the poor, and nearly 
fifty dollars expended for the needy. 

Their meetings are held weekly, and always 
some special subject is chosen for prayer : the 
conversion of souls, healing of disease, or some 
other felt need ; and the best part of the report 
was the last item, that, during the year, they had 
in every instance received a direct answer to the 
prayer offered. Souls had been saved ; an insane 
girl recovered ; and, such confidence has a certain 
farmer that whatever they ask they will receive, 
that three times, in seasons of drouth, he has sent 
word to them to pray for rain, and each time, in 
a few hours, the plentiful showers have de- 
scended ; though, in the last instance, everything 
indicated continued drouth, even the barometer 
being perfectly clear, yet it rained steadily and 
gently for several days. 

The superintendent of the visiting department 
reported that it took heavenly wisdom to know 
how to make calls successfully on the neglected 
class, but God gave it to those who feared 
him, and sought for wisdom as directed in 
James i : 5. 



OUR YOUNG LADIES* WORK. 243 



When she first started out her heart beat 
faster and faster, until she shook from head to 
foot, but the trembling was stilled by the word of 
the Lord : " Fear not, for I am with thee ; be 
not dismayed, for I am thy God ; I will strength- 
en thee ; yea, I will uphold thee with the right 
hand of my righteousness. ' ; The first door at 
which they knocked was opened by a girl both 
blind and crippled. She received them gladly, 
and they found her happy and contented, despite 
unpleasant surroundings. 

The visitor thought, " If this blind girl can 
know Paul's experience — ' I have learned in 
whatsoever state I am, therewith to be con- 
tent/ — surely I too may gain that lesson." 
This visit was followed by many others, and 
songs and flowers gave new joys to the blind girl, 
and the visitor rejoiced that she had not been 
discouraged by her beating heart and trembling 
frame, and thus lost such blessing to her own 
soul. 

Visiting one whom she had heard was sick, she 
found the sick one leaning on a fence, talking 
with a woman in the adjoining yard, and waited 



244 BEULAH LAND. 



several minutes for her to come to the house ; 
but waiting in vain, she finally called to her, as 
she could not very easily go to her over the rub- 
bish and high grass. She said : 

" I heard you were sick." 

She turned her back to her visitor, as she 
replied : 

" Yes'm, I was." 

She waked a while, and queried with her com- 
panion if they should call themselves vanquished, 
and retreat, or stand their ground. They prayed 
silently for guidance and help, and as they stood, 
a woman opened a door to the house opposite, 
and called to the girl standing on the other side 
of the fence : 

" Mary, I should think you'd come in the 
house, and let her go and see what them ladies 
want." 

Mary left, and the obstinate woman turned 
homewards. Her visitors followed, uninvited, 
but received simply "Yes'm/ 3 and "No'm," to 
their remarks, till they read a chapter in the 
Bible, and prayed, and then tears filled the 
woman's eyes, and, entirely subdued, she was 



OUR YOUNG LADIES* WORK. 245 



as kind and cordial as possible when they de- 
parted. 

Just before Christmas many hearts were made 
glad by these young visitors. At one home six 
children eagerly watched every movement made 
by some of the young ladies, who brought several 
mysterious bundles, and one distinctly whis- 
pered : 

"Tom, I bet she's got suthin' for our Christ- 
mas." 

The mother was much annoyed, and, to save 
her further embarrassment, the visitor asked to 
see the mother alone. They went into the bed- 
room, and the mother wept for joy at the kind- 
ness and thoughtfulness of these young friends 
as they displayed the contents of their parcels. 
As they turned away, and walked down the icy 
street in a pouring rain, they seemed to hear : 
" Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least 
of these, ye have done it unto me." 

They desired much to do something for the 
inmates of the almshouse. Their first call was 
received kindly, but when they went again, they 
were told they could not have a service unless by 



246 BEULAH LAND. 



the consent of the selectmen. There were eight 
young ladies. Five went in a carriage to visit 
the selectmen; three returned in the horse-cars 
to their several homes. It was an interesting 
story of persistence under difficulty and discour- 
agement that would have effectually hindered 
any who cared for their own ease and pleasure 
more than the cause of Christ. But these dear 
girls left their cool and pleasant homes, and 
travelled hot and dusty roads, looking to God to 
bless their efforts, and were at last rewarded 
with full consent and hearty approval of those in 
authority, and now have a weekly service of 
prayer and praise at the almshouse. 

The superintendent of the sewing department 
offered assistance to the mother of a large family, 
which was gladly accepted. 

On the appointed day they met, and found the 
work cut and basted, and at the close of the hour 
the mother said : 

" I have nothing to offer you but thanks. 
You have done more than I could have done 
in a month." 

They made garments that have been worn 



OUR YOUNG LADIES WORK. 24/ 

since by missionaries in Africa, and there was 
much work done for the Master by these fol- 
lowers of Dorcas. 

The report of the Flower Mission was of as 
much interest and profit, and given as much 
prominence, as any part of the work. 

Two of these young ladies were out one June 
evening, when dirty, ragged, neglected-looking 
children came toward them with beautiful 
branches of syringa. Timidly they asked the 
superintendent of the Flower Mission if she 
would like them. She exclaimed, " How beauti- 
ful ! ' and stooped to brush back their untidy 
hair, and told them she had asked Jesus to send 
her some flowers for a poor blind girl, and they 
must be happy to know " God used them to 
answer her prayer." 

She then passed on, resuming conversation 
with her friend. They walked farther than she 
intended, and, turning back, she saw in the 
distance two children running swiftly towards 
her. As they drew nearer, she saw they were 
the same little ones who brought the flowers, and 
now had a still larger supply. The young lady 



248 BEULAH LAND. 



received the flowers, and then spoke to them of 
Jesus, and was soon after embarrassed to find 
two carriages had stopped by the roadside, and 
the inmates were listening to the conversation. 
To avoid notice, she invited her audience to walk 
on with her, and she dropped the good seed of 
the Word into the little open hearts, sending up 
a prayer into the listening ear of the Great 
King, that it may bear fruit in beautiful man- 
hood and womanhood in years to come. 

Thus they are " sowing beside all waters," and . 
the Lord of the harvest will see that in the reap- 
ing time there are gathered many sheaves of 
golden grain. 

I will close this brief sketch of the wide- 
reaching and beautiful work of the Association 
with one of the many happy souvenirs that so 
often find their way into the path of the conse- 
crated worker, whether young or old. Daisy 
Earle had, one day, in her ministry of love, left a 
bouquet at the home of a blind man, who was 
loved and honored far and wide for his character 
and influence. The pleasure of the receiver 
found expression in the following lines : 



OUR YOUNG LADIES' WORK. 249 



TO DAISY. 

BY H. D. BASSETT. 

The perfume that arises 

From acts of kindness shown, 

Would give most glad surprises, 
If but the truth were known. 

One day, a little maiden 
Came tripping to my door, 

Her hand was lightly laden 

With the sweet bouquet she bore. 

The blind man asked her to confide, 
"Who is this little girl?" 

To which the maiden quick replied, 
"My name is Daisy Earle." 

" My mamma said, you might enjoy 
The fragrance of the flowers," 

So said the pretty maiden coy, 
And left them to be ours. 

God bless the mamma for her thought, 
God bless sweet Daisy Earle ! 

God bless all kindnesses thus wrought 
Amid life's busy whirl ! 

Newton, Mass. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

« 

DOUGLAS. 

ONE day I took the horse-car for Boston, 
and, after I had gone some distance, 
discovered that I had left my porte-monnaie at 
home. When the conductor came for my fare, I 
told him that I had forgotten my money, and 
asked him if he would trust me. He said : 

"Certainly ; you can hand it to me when you 
are on my car again.' ' 

I thanked him, and he went on. 

After I had passed Mount Auburn, the thought 
occurred to me that it would be just as necessary 
for me to have money to pay my fare home from 
Boston as it would be to go there. I flew to my 
refuge, and said : 

"Dear Heavenly Father, wilt thou work out 
my deliverance so that thou alone wilt get all of 
the glory ? " 



DOUGLAS. 251 



In an instant this passage of Scripture came to 
my mind : " Stand still, and see the salvation of 
God." 

In about five minutes the conductor, an entire 
stranger, came to me, and holding out a handful 
of silver money, said : " Lady, take what money 
you will need in Boston to-day." 

" Oh, thank you/ 5 said I, at the same time 
taking what I needed. " But you do not know 
me. Would you like my name ? " 

" O, no ; " he replied ; " you can hand it to me 
sometime when you are on my car." 

What an unexpected source my deliverance 
came from ! Surely no one but God could get 
the glory. I felt like singing : 



" Praise God from whom all blessings flow, 
Praise him all creatures here below; 
Praise him above, ye heavenly hosts; 
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." 

The Lord wonderfully opened the way for 
myself and family to attend the Douglas Holiness 
Camp-meeting, which commenced the twenty- 
eighth of July, and lasted ten days. 



252 BEULAH LAND. 



As soon as we stepped into the beautiful pine 
grove we exclaimed, - "How delightful ! " We 
were often hushed to sleep in the late hours of 
the night by the sweet music of the rippling 
brook that flows steadily, from year to year, 
through the encampment. 

Many who called on Sister Lizzie Smith, were 
taught valuable lessons of patience and content- 
ment. Her many callers were always greeted 
with a smile, and one might suppose that she had 
only lain down to rest for a few moments, if they 
had not been previously informed that her tired 
and aching body had lain on one side for 
over fifty-one years. She was entirely help- 
less, with the exception of the aid that she 
could render herself by the use of two fingers. 
Never for a moment did she refer to her suf- 
erings unless asked a direct question about 
them. 

When the services were at the stand, her lit- 
tle bed, about the size of a child's crib, and 
that is on wheels, was drawn down near the front, 
and as the. hundreds of frivolous, worldly young 
men and women stopped and looked at the crip- 



DOUGLAS. 253 



pled little form, it spoke its silent message, and 
many turned away in tears. 

Surely this dear sister, who lives at Williman- 
tic, Conn., and trusts God for all that she has, is 
"made perfect in affliction," and is a living wit- 
ness of Christ's power to save. 

Among the many glorious features of the 
meetings was the baptismal service that took 
place the last Sunday morning of the meetings. 
Among the number were five members of our 
Young Ladies' Association, who were baptized 
by Dr. Levy, two of them being my daughters. 
As I saw them walk down into the water, with 
faces all aglow with the presence of God, it car- 
ried my mind back to the time when their mother 
was doing likewise, and when they were laid 
back under the water, I shouted aloud for joy. 
Brother and Sister Earle's joy was not any less 
than mine as they saw their two eldest daughters 
take the step which signified that they were dead 
to the world, and alive unto Christ. May the 
Lord help our four girls always to be even more 
united to him than they are to each other ; and as 
they are just blooming into womanhood, to set 



254 BEULAH LAND. 



such examples before the world that will lead 
many a wanderer home to Father's house. 

On the following Monday morning we bade 
farewell to the many whom we had learned to 
love during our stay. We were being whirled 
nearer and nearer toward our quiet homes, prais- 
ing God for the wonderful' display of his power 
in our midst. 

It was very pleasant to meet the dear members 
of our Mission, who welcomed us with out- 
stretched arms, and hear them testify to the 
keeping power of God, although they were 
unable to be at Douglas. 

The mission meetings are still in progress at 
Brother Earle's. Our last young* people's meet- 
ing at the time of writing this, — a meeting for 
all young people under eighty years of age, — 
was one of great power. Eight went forward for 
prayers, four for pardon, and four for holiness. 
God's approving smile rests on our work, and we 
are willing to bear all the fiery darts of Satan, for 
Christ is our shield and hiding-place, therefore 
whom need we fear ? 

Some time since, a gentleman who attends our 



DOUGLAS. 255 



meetings, and who is a conductor on one of the 
Newton and Watertown horse-cars, was put 
under such conviction for Sabbath work that 
finally he decided to leave his situation if the 
superintendent of that line would not give him 
his Sundays. The next day after his decision 
was made, he went to the superintendent, and 
frankly told him of his decision. His request 
was granted, and he still holds his position on 
the road. This result is most gratifying to all 
who are interested in the Lord's cause. 

I will here insert an article clipped from one 
of the Boston papers : 

"The Good-Will Mission, having its head- 
quarters in Newton, Mass., has, for one of its 
lines of work, that of placing in the various lines 
of horse-cars centering in Boston, large cards, 
having on them, in good-sized type, a passage of 
Scripture. They have the cards now perma- 
nently in several routes of horse-cars, and have 
ordered them put into the remaining lines as 
soon as vacant space can be had, and the results 
are excellent and far-reaching." 

One soul thus saved would pay for a lifetime 



256 BEULAH LAND. 



service, and this is only one of the hundreds who 
have found pardon or purity during the last three 
years' service at the delightful residence of our 
dear brother and sister, Mr. and Mrs. James H. 
Earle. 

Brother Earle's labors through the columns of 
his widely-circulated paper, the Contributor, and 
his large list of publications, have made his name 
a household word in many lands ; while Sister 
Earle, through the books she has written, and 
her work at the head of one of the State Depart- 
ments of the Woman's Christian Temperance 
Union, wields a power for good that an angel 
might covet. 

With gladness they have laid themselves, their 
beautiful home, and their opportunities for good 
at the Master's disposal. Through all these 
years in Newton, their home has been a sunny 
place in my life. My cares and needs have been 
their care. We have together carried to the 
Throne of grace the unnumbered requests that 
have been presented for prayer, and have rejoiced 
in the triumphs of redeeming love. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

I HAVE, my dear reader, by asking God to 
guide my pen, tried to present tt) you my 
life of prosperity, adversity, and lessons of trust. 
My object in doing this is to try to lead the lost 
sheep into the fold, stimulate the weak, and en- 
courage the strong. Since I have found the 
Lord to be to me even more than I could think 
or ask, I may safely recommend his watchful 
keeping to all who will accept him. Ah ! in 
hours of grief and physical weakness, what com- 
fort could I have found except in my dear Heav- 
enly Father ? He has gently and lovingly led 
me all the way, and I can say, with the poet : 

" I've reached the land of corn and wine, 
And all its riches freely mine, 
Here shines undimmed one blissful day, 
For all my night has passed away. 

257 



258 BEULAH LAND. 



" My Saviour comes and walks with me, 
And sweet communion here have we; 
He gently leads me by his hand, 
For this is heaven's border-land. 

u A sweet perfume upon the breeze, 
Is borne from ever-vernal trees ; 
And flowers that never fading grow, 
Where streams of life forever flow. 

"The zephyrs seem to float to me 
Sweet sounds of heaven's melody, 
As angels, with their white-robed throng, 
Join in the sweet redemption song. 

" O, Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land I 
As on thy highest mount I stand, 
I look away across the sea, 
Where mansions are prepared for me; 
And view the shining glory-shore, 
My heaven, my home forever more." 



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